Siena, Africa and Europe at The Metropolitan Museum, New York City

 

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is always a great place to visit. Its permanent collection is one of the best in the world, and it always has fascinating special exhibitions. While their fall shows are starting to wind down, there is still time to catch the two main exhibitions.

Siena - The Rise of Painting (through Jan 26, 2025)

 

In the 14th century, the Tuscan city of Siena was one of the centers of economic, political, and religious life in what today is Italy. It became a center of producing religious artwork for churches and also for private devotionals. Artists were developing new ways to present the subjects of their work, ways that led to the dawn of the Italian Renaissance.

Virgin and Child (with gilt frame) by Unknown Byzantine artist

 

The Annunciation by Pietro Lorenzetti

The words are spoken (Annunciation detail)

The Crucifixion by Guccio di Mannaia

The Pive Alterpiece by Pietro Lorenzetti

One of the main artists of that time was Duccio di Buoninsegna (1255?-1319?). He was one of the first Italian artists to use shading to make his subjects more 3-dimensional, and more naturalistic.

Temptation of Christ on the Temple by Duccio

The Annunciation by Duccio

Virgin and Child with St. Dominic and St. Aurea by Duccio

Flight into Egypt - Black Artists and Ancient Egypt 1876 - Now (through Feb 17, 2025)

Cleopatra's Chair by Barbara Chase-Riboud

 

During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the art of Ancient Egypt was becoming better known throughout Europe and the United States. It influenced many artists, but its most profound effect was on many Black artists. The descendants of people who were kidnapped from their homes in Africa, Blacks in the United States had had all of their traditional history and culture taken away from them. The opportunity to explore and incorporate the art from one of Africa’s oldest recorded civilizations meant that they could bring connections of “home” to their work. 

l'Invitation au Voyage by Mahmoud Saïd

Building More Stately Mansions by Aaron Douglas

Grey Area (Brown Version) by Fred Wilson

Interior of a Mosque, Cairo by Henry Ossawa Tanner

Egyptian themes became wide-spread in art produced by Black artists. Paintings, movies, and even music videos incorporated stylized “hieroglyphics”, Egyptian costumes, and the theme of “kings and queens” of the continent. This exhibit includes nearly 200 works of art that explore this connection.

Nefertiti (Black Power) by Awol Erizku

Various Album Covers

Scene from Space is the Place by John Coney, Sun Ra and Joshua Smith

Suntrust by Shani Crowe

Look Again - European Paintings 1300-1800 (ongoing)

Last Communion of Saint Jerome by Botticelli

 

One aspect of visiting a museum that hosts so many great special exhibitions is that I often forget to spend time in The Met’s permanent collection. The Met spent five years renovating its European galleries. In 2023 they reopened with natural lighting from skylights in all of its rooms. The galleries are arranged in chronological order if you walk in a clockwise path, and are divided by the countries of origin. This offers the visitor a chance to observe parallel tracks of artistic development throughout the continent. 

Virgin and Child by Andrea de Verrochio (teacher of Leonardo di Vinci)

 

Venus and Adonis by Titian

Lucrezia Agliardi Vertova by Giovanni Battista Moroni

Portrait of a Woman by Rembrandt

Vision of Saint John by El Greco

Joanna de Silva by William Wood

Nuts and Bolts   

Hall of Arms and Armor

The Met Christmas Tree

The Met is located at 1000 Fifth Ave. at the intersection of East 82nd street. It is open from 10 AM - 5 PM (9 PM on Fri and Sat) every day except Wednesdays.

Entrance fee is Adult $30/ Seniors +visitors with disabilities $22/ Students $17/ Children under 12 free. Residents of New York State and students in NY, NJ and CT can enter with a Pay What You Wish donation.

 
One Note - I always recommend visiting large museums as early in the day as possible. I also suggest entering the Met using the Handicap/Group entrance. It is in the plaza, just south of the main entrance. It usually has a shorter line. The only down side if you come later in the day is that the coat/bag check is smaller and can fill up quickly.