Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City

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The French masters are well represented at the Met, such as these works by Edouard Manet (picture 1 - The Young Lady) and Auguste Renoir (picture 2 - Bouquet of Chrysanthemums).

I remember studying these paintings in my Humanities class - in black and white textbook. But to see the real paintings in their glorious colors is a totally different experience.

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The Charles Engelhard Court, located at the American Wing of the Met, showcases works by American artists and architects. The venue is located in a glassed-in courtyard with soaring ceilings. The sculptures are presented like outdoor works in parks, creating a hefty sense of space where one can spend considerable time not just admiring the sculptures, but also to relax and a good place to recover from occasional bouts of museum fatigue before tackling on the rest of the galleries.

The theme of the gallery revolves around American representation of classic Greek and Roman sculptures. I was specifically smitten by Augustus St Gaudens' bronze version of Diana. With its prominent location at the center of the gallery, this statue is arguably the centerpiece of Charles Engelhard Court.

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Fans of the prolific French sculptor Auguste Rodin are well catered for at the Met. Although some of the works are "mere" bronze casts of the original (such as The Three Shades sculpture in picture 2), this does not deprive Rodin's fans with the most stunning representations of the original works.

Acknowledged as the progenitor of modern sculpture, his sculptures are some of the most well-recognized modern sculptures in the world. The fact that he was able to achieve global superstardom despite not having the success of being admitted to Paris' foremost school of art, makes Rodin's story even more inspirational.

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Centuries later after Rembrandt, another Dutch painter made waves with his post-Impressionist, masterpieces - the great Vincent Van Gogh. He is as known for his paintings, as for his state of mind. Although it is a well-known fact that he committed suicide at such a young age of 37, I've recently read somewhere that the fatal gunshot was not self-inflicted, but rather came from someone else. Murder!?

I am a great Van Gogh fan, and it was such a delight to see many of his famous works at the Met. According to Wikipedia, Van Gogh's style is "notable for its rough beauty, emotional honesty, and bold color...." I couldn't agree more.

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Of course, if there are Monets, there should be Rembrandts. This greatest of Dutch painters, during whose time Netherlands experienced its golden age of painting, is known for his self-portraits, as for his other paintings of other people, as well as Biblical scenes.

His paintings are known for the masterful rendering of the subject's emotions, as well as attention to to detail. Many scholars regard his self-portraits not as expressions of vanity, but rather a genuine and sincere survey of himself. Sounds profound to me. Why would a man paint so many self-portraits if he's not vain - or even narcissistic?

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We all know who Claude Monet is, and the Met carries an extensive collection of Monets. A Monet here, a Monet, Monets everywhere!

One of the most attractive are Monet's paintings of flowers - sunflowers (picture 1), chrysanthemums (picture 2), and water lillies (picture 3).

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The Met is one of the world's largest art museums with over two million objects housed in a two million sq foot building, tens of thousands on display at any one time. The concept for a New York Museum led to incorporationn of the Met in 1870 with the first acquisition a Roman sarcophagus. The museum moved to its current site in 1880 and has continued to grow with additions of rooms and wings. The original gothic structure is now completely surrounded (although one wall remains intact in an exhibit of European masters). The current Fifth Avenue facade and Great Hall opened in 1902. The building occupies the eastern margin of Central Park on Fifth Avenue in Museum Mile and attracts 5.5 million visitors a year.

The extraordinary range of the holdings is divided into multiple sections each in a wing or great hall. Art work exhibits extend from prehistorid to ancient Greek and Roman, Sacred, Old Masters, 19th Century, and contemporary and modern. The newest wing (2011) features the works of Turkey, Arab Lands, Iran, Central and Southern Asia. Another new large wing is the American, including multiple small rooms decorated in period pieces. Collections of costumes, arts and armor, musicial instruments, and sculpture are among the finest in the world. And of course, the temple of Dendur, removed and reconstructed from Egypt stone by stone sets in its own huge hall facing the park.

Standard admission is stated to be recommended and not required, up to $25 standard, with significant discounts for seniors and students. Hours - 0930-1750 daily and till 2130 on Friday and Saturday. As one might guess, there are numerous museum stores and a variety of dining options rangning from sitdown service to prepackaged sandwiches. Expect no bargains.
The Met could occupy a month of visits - for those with serious interests, there are itineraries published on the website. Or just pick one or two areas of interest and don't get waylaid along the way like we do. Not unlike Alice's restaurant, you can get anything you want at the Met.

You can return here dozens of times, as I have, and still not see the whole place!! I never tire of coming here, and I have my favorite spots, like the quiet Chinese courtyard, and the Greek galleries. This is really one of the greatest museums in the world and not to be missed!

The museum has late hours on Fridays and Saturdays--open till 9:00pm.