To the Met, To The Met
This past Friday, Nate, Ben and I went to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art with the intention of exploring the Cloud City exhibition, but due to the inclement weather, the exhibit was closed so we had to resort to our alternative plans. It was only my second time at the Met, so I really wanted to optimize my time there and explore all the various art forms. The Met has a vast supply of art ranging from ancient Egyptian art to armor used in the American Revolution, all containing a significant amount of history and opportunities to learn. Throughout our time in the museum, however, there was one section that stood out to me, and that area was the Spanish decorative arts on the second floor.
The Spanish portion of the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts gallery hit home for me because I was given the chance to trace back my ancestry and see the artifacts my ancestors may have used during the sixteenth century. My family migrated from the Iberian Peninsula and near Spain in the early 1900s, and I know that I have ancestral roots that can be traced back to Spain, so I thought it was really neat to see these items that once resided in the same time as my family. Specifically, I really enjoyed looking at the ornate plates that the royal family used for their meals. The detailed drawings and intricate brown line designs on the plates really made them stand out, and it was neat to think these were the plates were hundreds of years old. I also took a strong interest to these plates in particular because my grandmother had a strikingly similar brown bowl and plate set, so I thought it was cool how the same color scheme has been passed down from century to century.
In addition to tracing back my heritage, another aspect of the exhibit I enjoyed was the history presented to us from the information cards. All throughout my education, I never had a class that focused on Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, so I was pleasantly surprised to read about what was happening in history during that time period. The descriptions of the exhibit discussed how the Spanish acquired massive amounts of silver through trade with the American colonies, and they used part of that silver to make their vases, bowls, and other instruments. I found it fascinating how all the imports from the colonies went directly to the wealthiest citizens who then cashed out on their plates as opposed to using the value of the silver to promote economic growth or to improve society.
Overall, this trip to the Met provided me with both a chance to learn more about my heritage while providing me with a history lesson. Even though we did not have the opportunity to explore Cloud City, I am still thankful for having the luxury of spending the day at the Met with my friends while learning about my family.
Posted: October 2nd, 2012 under Reviews.
