The Metropolitan Museum turns 140!

A place like no other

"Sunday at the Met"
Oil on canvas
12 x 9 inches
Sold

When I read today that the Metropolitan Museum of Art is celebrating its 140 year anniversary, I just had to dig up this old slide of a very old painting that I did way back when of the Met. People are hanging out on the front steps of the Met on a Sunday afternoon, much as they still do today. To be lucky enough to live in a city where this museum is so easily accessible is truly a blessing for any artist or art-lover. My friend Lou used to work at the museum and he invited me to see some of the big blockbuster shows on Mondays when the museum is closed to the general public. What a rare treat to see a Van Gogh exhibit up close in an uncrowded gallery and not have to stand on my tippy-toes, craning my neck just to catch a glimpse. But, there is so much to see and many of the quiet nooks and crannies allow the visitor the opportunity to just soak it all in.


Photo of Met interior

As anyone who has followed this blog knows, I'm partial to the architecture of the Beaux Arts period in architecture and the Met is a prime example. This photo is a painting idea I have in mind. I love the graceful arches and contours of this truly elegant building. As the woman who bought the painting wrote to me, the Met is part of our bones and of our hearts. Awhile back I bought a watercolor of the reception area of the Met. I saw the painting and was totally entranced. So not only is there great art inside the Met, but it has inspired artists over the years as well. The Met is truly a work of art!