Metropolitan Museum of Art

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Hugo Schneider · CC BY-SA 2.0 · source
Name	Metropolitan Museum of Art
Established	April 13, 1870
Location	1000 Fifth Avenue, Manhattan, New York City
Type	Art museum
Collection size	Over 2 million works
Visitors	Approximately 7 million annually (pre-pandemic)
Director	Max Hollein
President	Daniel H. Weiss
Publictransit	86th Street station
Website	https://www.metmuseum.org

Metropolitan Museum of Art. Located on the eastern edge of Central Park along Museum Mile, it is one of the world's largest and most comprehensive art museums. Founded in 1870, its permanent collection spans over 5,000 years of art from every corner of the globe, from ancient times to the present. The museum's main building on Fifth Avenue is an iconic feature of the New York City cultural landscape, with its Beaux-Arts facade designed by Richard Morris Hunt.

History

The institution was incorporated on April 13, 1870, by a group of American citizens including businessmen, artists, and philanthropists such as John Taylor Johnston and John Jay. Its first home was in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue. The museum moved to its current location in 1880, opening a red-brick Gothic Revival structure designed by Calvert Vaux and Jacob Wrey Mould. Under the leadership of early trustees like J. P. Morgan and directors like Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the collection grew rapidly through purchases and major donations, such as the 1887 acquisition of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriot antiquities. The 20th century saw massive expansion, including the construction of the present facade and Great Hall by Richard Morris Hunt, completed by his son Richard Howland Hunt in 1902. Landmark gifts, like the 1913 bequest from Jacob S. Rogers that established a substantial purchase fund, and the 1917 donation of the Benjamin Altman collection of Old Master paintings, solidified its financial and artistic stature.

Collections

The museum's holdings are organized into seventeen curatorial departments. The Department of Egyptian Art houses one of the finest collections outside Cairo, including the Temple of Dendur installed in the Sackler Wing. The Department of European Paintings features masterpieces by Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, Édouard Manet, and Vincent van Gogh. The Department of Arms and Armor contains a renowned collection of medieval and Renaissance weaponry, while the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art includes works by Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, and Georgia O'Keeffe. Other significant departments include the Department of Greek and Roman Art, with its celebrated collection of Roman wall paintings from Boscoreale, and the Department of Asian Art, which holds extensive collections from China, Japan, and India. The Costume Institute, founded by Irene Lewisohn, maintains a collection of over 33,000 garments and accessories.

Architecture

The main building is a sprawling complex of interconnected wings and additions. The original 1880 structure was soon enveloped by the grand Beaux-Arts facade and entrance hall on Fifth Avenue. Major 20th-century additions include the Robert Lehman Wing (1975), housing the Old Master collection of Robert Lehman in a contextual setting, and the American Wing (1980), which features the reconstructed facade of the United States Branch Bank from Wall Street. The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing (1982) houses the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. The Lila Acheson Wallace Wing (1987) expanded modern art galleries, and the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education provides public programming space. In 2011, the museum opened the David H. Koch Plaza at its front entrance.

Governance and funding

The museum is governed by a Board of Trustees, historically led by figures like Robert Goelet and Arthur Ochs Sulzberger. Day-to-day operations are managed by the director, a position held by notable individuals including Thomas P. F. Hoving, Philippe de Montebello, and the current director, Max Hollein. It operates as a private 501(c)(3) organization, funded through endowment income, membership dues, city appropriations for building maintenance (via the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs), and philanthropic gifts. Major capital campaigns and donations from patrons like Walter Annenberg, Henry R. Kravis, and Leonard Lauder have supported expansions and acquisitions.

Notable exhibitions and programs

The museum organizes major temporary exhibitions that often draw international attention. Landmark shows include "The Treasures of Tutankhamun" (1978), "Van Gogh in Saint-Rémy and Auvers" (1986), and "China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200–750 AD" (2004). The annual Costume Institute exhibition and gala, overseen by curator Andrew Bolton, has become a global cultural event. Public programs include lectures, concerts, and artist talks, while educational initiatives are spearheaded by the Thomas J. Watson Library, one of the world's largest art libraries. The museum also operates two auxiliary locations: The Cloisters in Fort Tryon Park, dedicated to medieval art, and Met Breuer, which it operated from 2016 to 2020 in the former Whitney Museum of American Art building.

In popular culture

The museum serves as a frequent setting in film, literature, and television. It is prominently featured in movies like *The Thomas Crown Affair* (1999), where a heist is staged in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts galleries, and When Harry Met Sally... (1989). Novels such as *The Goldfinch* by Donna Tartt use it as a key location. The annual Met Gala, formally the Costume Institute Gala, co-chaired by Anna Wintour, is a major event covered extensively by media outlets like *Vogue* and attracts celebrities from Beyoncé to Rihanna. The museum's iconic steps are a common meeting point and cultural reference in New York City lore.

Category:Art museums and galleries in New York City Category:Museums established in 1870 Category:1870 establishments in New York (state)