The Hidden History of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
One of the largest and most respected cultural repositories in the world, the celebrated Metropolitan Museum of Art has been New York City’s premier center for art and culture for well over a century now. The largest and most visited art museum in the Western Hemisphere, the museum contains more than two million artworks and artifacts spanning some 5,000 years of human history. Few people, however, really know the history of the museum and its humble beginnings as a way to remake New York City into a major hub for art and culture. Here’s a quick look at the hidden history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The origins of the famed museum date back to shortly after the Civil War when wealthy, …show more content…
The new building for the Metropolitan Museum of Art was greatly expanded several times around the turn of the 20th century, with various additions being completions and its iconic façade added in 1926.
In 1925, the museum acquired the Cloisters – then a separate museum dedicated to medieval art – in Upper Manhattan as a gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Later, the museum launched a new, 20-year architectural master plan in 1971 to make it more accessible and open to the public. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a number of new and renovated art galleries were opened, expanding the museum in size and increasing attendance. 2016 saw the opening of Met Breuer, a dedicated modern and contemporary art institute located in the old location of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Today, the Metropolitan Museum of Art stands tall as one of the leading arts and cultural institutions in the entire world. From its humble beginnings less than 150 years ago, the museum has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious in the world and has also helped to establish New York City as a premier cultural
One of the largest and most respected cultural repositories in the world, the celebrated Metropolitan Museum of Art has been New York City’s premier center for art and culture for well over a century now. The largest and most visited art museum in the Western Hemisphere, the museum contains more than two million artworks and artifacts spanning some 5,000 years of human history. Few people, however, really know the history of the museum and its humble beginnings as a way to remake New York City into a major hub for art and culture. Here’s a quick look at the hidden history of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The origins of the famed museum date back to shortly after the Civil War when wealthy, …show more content…
The new building for the Metropolitan Museum of Art was greatly expanded several times around the turn of the 20th century, with various additions being completions and its iconic façade added in 1926.
In 1925, the museum acquired the Cloisters – then a separate museum dedicated to medieval art – in Upper Manhattan as a gift from John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Later, the museum launched a new, 20-year architectural master plan in 1971 to make it more accessible and open to the public. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, a number of new and renovated art galleries were opened, expanding the museum in size and increasing attendance. 2016 saw the opening of Met Breuer, a dedicated modern and contemporary art institute located in the old location of the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Today, the Metropolitan Museum of Art stands tall as one of the leading arts and cultural institutions in the entire world. From its humble beginnings less than 150 years ago, the museum has grown to become one of the largest and most prestigious in the world and has also helped to establish New York City as a premier cultural