February 20th in History

 

Or—

1872: NEW YORK'S METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART OPENS

 

{^The Metropolitan Museum of art circa 1903}

If you love visiting museums, I promise the Metropolitan Museum on New York city’s upper East Side will not disappoint.

 

At its founding, it was a modest thing, conceived in Paris by a small group of Americans who wished the new world to hold some of the treasures Europe had.

 

It grew to be one of the best museums in the world.

 

What I have learned about museums of such scope is to not try to visit all their parts, not even as “a focus plus a quick run through.” A quick run-through, as some do so they can attest to having seen, is exactly how not to enjoy a museum.

 

At the Met, as the locals call it, I make sure to focus on what I love and leave the rest. For me, it’s the Islamic art section, and (sometimes) the furnished period rooms. For you it may be Renaissance art, or art of the Far East, or costumes (much better at the Smithsonian, in my opinion) and even Impressionist art (stronger at the Museum of Modern art, also IMO.) Perhaps you’re intrigued by art of the ancient world (Greek vases, anyone?) or medieval iconography. No matter. The point is to go for what you like or are most eager to learn about when you are fresh and keen on both seeing and reading.

 

Two hours at a time does it for me. This is not a school assignment. This is about pleasure.

The key is to leave before fatigue sets in.

💐Happy Birthday💐 

💐dear MET💐

{^Damascus Room at the MET^}