Celebrate summer with a visit to The Cloisters Museum and Gardens, the Metropolitan's medieval treasure in Northern Manhattan. Meanwhile, back at the Main Building, visit the newly opened special exhibitions "Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe" and "J. M. W. Turner." Weather permitting, don't miss "Jeff Koons on the Roof," which is presented in the most dramatic outdoor space for sculpture in New York City: The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Don't forget—the Museum is open late Friday and Saturday evenings until 8:45 p.m.
See the calendar to find out what's happening at the Museum on a particular day.
Above: Winslow Homer (American, 1836–1910). Fishing Boats, Key West, 1903. Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper; 13 15/16 x 21 3/4 in. (35.4 x 55.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Amelia B. Lazarus Fund, 1910 (10.228.1). See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.
Superheroes: Fashion and Fantasy
Through September 1, 2008
The symbolic and metaphorical associations between fashion and the superhero are explored in this compelling exhibition. Featuring movie costumes, avant-garde haute couture, and high-performance sportswear, it reveals how the superhero serves as the ultimate metaphor for fashion and its ability to empower and transform the human body.
Learn more about this exhibition.
Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe
Through September 21, 2008
This is the most comprehensive exhibition to date on the tradition of hardstone carving (pietre dure) that developed in Italy in the sixteenth century and subsequently spread through Europe. Learn more about this exhibition.
J. M. W. Turner
Through September 21, 2008
The first retrospective of the work of J. M. W. Turner (1775–1851) presented in the United States in more than forty years, this international exhibition highlights approximately 140 paintings and watercolors—more than half of them from Tate Britain's Turner Bequest—along with works from other collections in Europe and North America. Learn more about this exhibition.
Photography on Photography: Reflections on the Medium since 1960
Through October 19, 2008
This installation of works from the permanent collection—the second in the Museum’s new gallery for contemporary photographs—surveys the ways in which artists have directed the camera toward photography itself, taking aim at its claims of transparency and objectivity, its ubiquity in modern life, and its inextricable ties to advertising and consumer culture. Learn more about this exhibition.
Jeff Koons on the Roof
Through October 26, 2008 (weather permitting)
This installation of sculptures by Jeff Koons (American, b. 1955) features several of the artist’s meticulously crafted works set in the most dramatic outdoor space for sculpture in New York City: The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Learn more about this exhibition.
Special exhibitions are free with admission. See all current exhibitions.
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens is pleased to announce a new blog called "The Medieval Garden Enclosed," which will keep visitors up to date on all the latest happenings at the spectacular gardens in Fort Tryon Park. The blog is hosted and moderated by the horticulturists and medievalists on staff at The Cloisters. Visit The Medieval Garden Enclosed to see what's in bloom!
Image: Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis), The Cloisters. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Save 25% on calendars during this special summer preview at The Met Store, now through August 20. Choose from a variety of options, ranging from classic engagement calendars to large and small wall versions, clothbound, pocket-sized, and plexiglass editions.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has been engaged in the sale of art reproductions and publications since its founding in 1870. Your purchase supports the educational mission of the Museum by widening public awareness of art and contributing to basic operating expenses. Remember: A gift from the Met is a gift to the Met.
Pictured: New York, New York: The City in Art Wall Calendar 2009 ($14.95), available in The Met Store.
Each week, the Museum offers hundreds of events and programs that are free with Museum admission—including lectures, films, tours, family activities, and more. The following featured events are just a few of the free programs scheduled for May. See the calendar to plan your next visit.
Gallery Talk
Tibetan Arms and Armor from the Permanent Collection
Thursday, July 10, 11:00 a.m.
Meet in the Great Hall
Donald LaRocca leads this talk highlighting the Museum's extensive permanent collection of rare and exquisitely decorated armor, weapons, and equestrian equipment from Tibet and related areas of Mongolia and China.
Film
Modern Design Films
Thursday, July 10, 2:00 p.m.
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Uris Center for Education
Today's film program includes two short features shown in conjunction with the special exhibition "Masterpieces of Modern Design: Selections from the Collection". The first, Art Nouveau: 1890–1914 (2000), highlights a variety of objects created in this innovative style (30 min.; directed by Carroll Moore). Art Deco (2001) examines the geometry and streamlining typical of the Art Deco style (29 min.; directed by Sarah Aspinall).
See the calendar to see more events listed by date.
New Episodes Available
Check out Met Podcast to listen to or download the latest episodes of our top-notch audio programming. Topics include works of art in the permanent collection, select special exhibitions, family programming, and more. You may also read transcripts of each episode or browse through an archive of all episodes. In the most recent episode, Marco Leona, the head of the Scientific Research Department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, discusses the exciting discoveries revealed by the scientific analyses of an ancient Greek funerary stele.
Met Podcast is an exciting way for visitors to enjoy audio programming for free—before, during, or after a trip to the Museum. Visitors may also subscribe to receive new audio episodes automatically, as soon as they become available. Visit Met Podcast for more information or to listen to an episode.
Above: Marco Leona setting up a fiber optics reflectance probe to study traces of pigment on a Roman sculpture. Photograph by Mark Abbe.
Drawings and Prints: Selections from the Permanent Collection
Through July 14, 2008
This exhibition presents European drawings and prints from the sixteenth to the nineteenth centuries, including notable recent purchases, and a drawing newly attributed to the sixteenth-century Italian master Parmigianino, displayed with sheets by other Emilian artists. A selection of French drawings and Italian mannerist prints from the same period is also on view. The eighteenth century is represented with prints by or after Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Gabriel de Saint-Aubin, and Philibert-Louis Debucourt, together with German rococo ornament drawings and prints. Complementing these are British portrait studies and life drawings, including a pastel by Joseph Wright of Derby, and etchings by Thomas Stothard of The Wellington Shield. Learn more about this exhibition.
Krishna: Mythology and Worship
Through July 28, 2008
This new installation of works from the Museum's collection displays paintings, textiles, and sculptures that celebrate the life of the Hindu god Krishna, perhaps the most popular of all the appearances (avatars) of the Indian Hindu deity Vishnu. Learn more about this exhibition.
Special exhibitions are free with admission. See all current exhibitions.
Image: Joseph Wright of Derby (British, 1734–1797). Portrait of a Lady, ca. 1768–1772. Grisaille pastel on blue laid paper; 15 7/8 x 11 in. (40.3 x 28 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Rogers Fund, 2007 (2007.40). This work of art is currently featured in the exhibition Drawings and Prints: Selections from the Permanent Collection.
Open Late Fridays and Saturdays
Did you know that the main building of the Museum is open until 8:45 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings? Stop by for an after-work visit to the galleries, meet friends in the Balcony Bar for live classical music and a light snack, or venture out to The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden (weather permitting), where you can enjoy a refreshment while viewing the special exhibition "Jeff Koons on the Roof".
See Plan Your Visit for more information about Museum hours and admission.
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Image: Joseph H. Davis (1811–1865). Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Otis and Child (detail), 1834. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1972 (1972.263.6). See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.