Page 195 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - New York City

ME TROPOLIT AN MUSEUM OF AR T  193

Modern and
Contemporary Art
Since its foundation in 1870,
the museum has been acquiring
contemporary art, but it was not
until 1987 that a permanent
home for 20th-century art was
built – the Lila Acheson Wallace
Wing. Other museums in New
York have larger collections
of modern art, but this display
space is considered among the
finest. European and American
works from 1900 onward
are featured on three levels,
starting with Europeans such
as Picasso, Kandinsky, Braque,
and Bonnard. The collection’s
greatest strength lies in its
collection of modern
American art, with works by
New York school “The Eight,”
including John Sloan; such
A panel from the stained-glass Death of the Virgin window, from the 12th-century cathedral Modernists as Charles Demuth
of St. Pierre in Troyes, France and Georgia O’Keeffe; American
Regionalist Grant Wood;
majolica, Venetian glass, furniture, Abstract Expressionists, including
and enamels. Among the Musical Instruments Willem de Kooning and Jackson
canvases are works by The world’s oldest piano, Pollock; and such Color Field
North European masters, Andrés Segovia’s guitars, and painters as Clyfford Still.
Dutch and Spanish paintings, a sitar shaped like a peacock Special areas of the wing house
French masterpieces, Post- are some of the features of Art Nouveau and Art Deco
Impressionists and Fauves. a broad and sometimes furniture and metalwork; a
quirky collection of musical large collection of works on
instruments that spans six paper by Paul Klee; and the
Medieval Art continents and dates from Sculpture Gallery, with its large-
The Metropolitan’s medieval prehistory to the present. The scale sculptures and canvases.
collection includes works instruments illustrate the history Gems of the collection
dating from the 4th to the 16th of music and performance, and include Picasso’s portrait
century, roughly from the fall of most of them are conserved to of Gertrude Stein, Matisse’s
Rome to the beginning of the remain in playable condition. Nasturtiums with the painting
Renaissance. The collection is Worth particular mention Dance (1) Demuth’s I Saw the
split between the main are instruments from Figure 5 in Gold, and Andy
museum and its uptown the European courts Warhol’s last self-portrait.
branch, the Cloisters of the Middle Ages and Each year the Cantor Roof
(see pp246–9). In the main the Renaissance; rare Garden at the top of the wing
building are a chalice once violins; harpsichords; features a new installation of
thought to be the Holy instruments inlaid with contemporary sculpture,
Grail, six silver Byzantine precious materials; and a especially dramatic against the
plates showing scenes from fully equipped traditional backdrop of the New York skyline
the life of David, a 1301 violin-maker’s work shop; and Central Park.
pulpit by Giovanni there are also African
Pisano in the shape drums, Asian pi-pas,
of an eagle, and several or lutes; and Native
monumental sculptures American flutes.
of the Virgin and Child. Visitors can use audio
Other exhibits include equipment to hear
Migration jewelry, many of the instru-
liturgical vessels, ments playing the
stained glass, music of their day.
ivories, and
14th- and 15th- Stradivari violin from Grant Wood’s The Midnight Ride of
century tapestries. Cremona, Italy (1691) Paul Revere (1931)

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