Treasures of the Met in New York

There are many great museums in New York city, but my favorite is the amazing Metropolitan Museum of Art. Even the location at 1000 Fifth Avenue is great, stretching from the “Museum Mile” into Central Park.

The Contemporary section features artwork by Kiefer, Pollock and more. When passing sculptures by Rodin, probably my favorite sculptor, one enters a long stretch of amazing paintings by Degas, Caravaggio, Munch, Van Gogh, Matisse, Picasso and more which never seems to end.

Roaming through the massive European paintings gallery.

It’s no wonder that the movie character Thomas Crown tried to steal a Monet from here (even though I have to say that the really good Monets are over at MoMa, the Museum of Modern Art). The Pierce Brosnan remake of “The Thomas Crown Affair” from 1999 was not filmed at the museum though, since the Met didn’t want any association with a movie featuring art theft, so the producers had to recreate the halls in a closed set.

Well, hello there (Eternal Spring by Auguste Rodin, 1907).

The Islamic Art collection is reached through the Assyrian gate where a pair of winged guardians hold a silent vigil (it felt like I was back at Persepolis). The exhibition features a beautiful blue mihram from Esfahan, large Persian carpets and beautiful calligraphy.

This looks comfy (Koç family galleries with Ottoman carpet from Sultan Süleyman’s reign).

Arms and Armor features armored figures on horseback, Japanese swords from the Edo period, Samurai armor and much more.

We are the knights who say NI (16th century medieval German full plate armor).

The Asian wing is among the largest collection of Asian art in the US, spanning 4000 years. It even features an outdoor garden replica.

Perspectives in the Asian wing.

The American Wing holds the well-known painting “Washington Crossing the Delaware” in all of its over-the-top non-historical glory. The painting is a lot larger than one would expect, but unfortunately it’s not the original since that one was destroyed in a Bremen bombing raid during WW2.

Washington Crossing the Delaware (Leutze, 1851).

The Egyptian Art section features the Sphinx of Hatshepsut (nose included) next to the impressive Temple of Dendur from 15 B.C., where a scene from the 1989 movie “When Harry Met Sally” was shot.

Did you lock the car or not? (Ugolino and His Sons by Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, 1867).

The Met is one of the greatest things in NYC and perfect for a rainy day. Just bring good shoes and a lot of time on your hands.