The truth is, I was planning on writing about the armor room, which is really cool and makes me want to watch “A Knight’s Tale” again. But first I walked through the Greek/Roman area, and I was really struck by it. I guess it’s a really big contrast from all the art we’ve been doing recently, because one thing that really struck me was how formal everything was, as opposed to everything we’ve seen this year which works to give off the impression that its informal and undisciplined (obviously a ton of work went into all of them). And I think the rooms were designed to highlight that effect. The high ceiling kind of gives off the feeling that you’re in some kind of important government building (part of that is because most government buildings in America are based on Greek/Roman architecture, but that goes back to the impression that Greek/Roman art represents formality).
In every field that has accepted standards of doing things, there will be innovation that pushes against those rules and eventually the rules change completely (For example, in the NFL passing the ball was frowned on back in the day. Now everyone passes all the time because they have to in roder to keep up). The art world is no different. In Ancient Greek art where the norm was formal and relatively simple (although part of the simplicity is artificial; it has something to do with the fact that all the statues have lost their color and are plain white), the innovator had to push the boundaries of that formality, as did every successive generation until we have so much abstract art today. I really got a kick out of seeing where all that came from in the Greek collection.

Speaking of the value of art, a new record has been set for Warhol’s paintings. It’s amazing to see the value of art nowadays, isn’t it?

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/14/arts/design/grisly-warhol-painting-fetches-104-5-million-auction-high-for-artist.html?_r=0&hp=&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1384415827-5JJnGCJ3WUpS8CARztHecg

Did you ever wonder about the value of a Picasso? Well the painting, “Cigare” was worth 200,000 to 300,000 but was sold for 1.1 million. The same man, (China’s richest man, Wang Jianlin) bought another painting for 28 million. Makes you wonder what the value of Picasso is, doesn’t it?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-11-05/picasso-s-cigare-sells-for-1-1-million-in-dull-sale.html

The best part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is having to walk past multiple exhibits just to reach the one you are looking for. While you’re in the same room as the art, you can’t help but to spend a couple minutes to see what the exhibit has to offer. During our unexpected trip to the Met last week, my group and I decided to see the Balthus exhibit called, “Cats and Girls—Paintings and Provocations.” However, because of a few wrong turns and having very little idea of where we were going (and the exhibit was far), we ended up passing through many other exhibits and seeing many different forms of art. 

Egyptian art was on of the most fascinating. We saw more than just the, hopefully empty, sarcophaguses and vessels of the deceased. We went around and visited the Temple of Dendur. The site is beautiful and the structure is amazing to look at. Of course, one of the first things we asked was, “how did it get there?” It doesn’t fit on a plane or boat very well. We then realized it was taken apart and brought over. Then it was reassembled. Since we were lucky enough to have Professor Eversley with us, we learned something else that was very interesting. It always occurred to me as odd that such an old structure could be in such perfect shape and stand, but we were told it was probably found in pieces. So how does it attach together so purposely? Artificial parts are used to help the structure come together and show what it might have looked like. If you look closely, you can differentiate the artificial bricks from the real ones. I would have never guessed it was so obvious. Another interesting thing you will observe by looking closely is the hieroglyphic writing carved out of the bricks. One section looked especially familiar to me, and might to you as well. There is a picture of two kings (Pharaohs) in front of each other. By looking at the hats, we know one is from the north and one is from the south. What it actually means is a mystery to me, but seeing such an important script is certainly an unique experience. Just thinking that the Egyptians were capable of building this sort of structure, with so much detail, with the tools and technology they had available to them is still unbelievable to think about.

The two pharaohs

Many pieces of American art was great to look at but one piece really caught my eye this time. Remember the giant George Washington photo we saw at the Brooklyn Museum? It was here too, front and center. As we walk towards the room, you can see it through several entrances away. The painting was larger than I remembered and I thought it was strange for it to be at two different locations. Turns out this is just a copy. Nonetheless, the art was interesting and it was fun to see this well-known painting again (and interesting to learn it’s not the real one).

Before stepping into the Balthus exhibit, I also saw several paintings by Picasso. Out of all things that stood out was learning about the Blue period. Yes, these paintings were quite blue. It might have been that blue was the cheapest paint at the time and that’s all he could afford. However, it is also likely that he was more depressed at this time. The paintings do seem to reflect depression and sadness or at least nothing happy or joyful. The blue seems to make everything gloomy.

Now the Balthus exhibit was surprising even though it shouldn’t have been. It was indeed an exhibit with paintings of cats and girls. The work was interesting and a little strange. Many paintings showed a young girl, his neighbor. They were suggestive and we can see many aspects we learned of in class. Remember what a cat can mean in a painting? Oh yeah there was a girl next to that cat. An interesting part of this exhibit is in one of the rooms, similar paintings with facing each other on opposite walls. I took me a while to realize I wasn’t just seeing things. In another painting, there was his neighbor, holding a mirror and a man in the back (pictured below). At first glimpse this may seem like another painting that’s suggestive, and it is! However (thanks to Prof Eversley), an interesting fact. That man you see, according to the girl, wasn’t there. He was just added in. It really makes you think about how artists think of how the artist’s mind works and why they do what they do.

Can you imagine if the man in the back was not there?

Despite having been to the Met multiple times, this trip was the most interesting and the only time I noticed small details in the art. I learned more than I ever did at a museum just by stopping and observing. Special thanks to Eversley for sharing her knowledge!

Perhaps it was the lighting or perhaps it was the lack of foot traffic in this particular area of the museum but this group of stained windows stuck out beautifully to me.

This group of windows was Louis C. Tiffany’s creation. The middle window was the view of Oyster Bay from his country estate, Laurelton Hall. It bears an almost identical view from the house. The two panels surrounding the view are of grapevines. Almost three-dimensional, these grapevines contain hues of a variety of green but at a close vantage point, you could also see the blue, purple, and even pink. In the late 1870s, Tiffany was the one who introduced innovative techniques into stained glass. I’ve always admired stained glass that I frequently saw in churches. If the light hits the glass at just the right angle, the piece of art can be magical.

Of all the times I’ve been to the MET, one thing that never changes is the Sackler Wing.

This wing houses the Temple of Dendur, constructed by an Egyptian Emperor around 15 B.C.E. This is a constant fixture in the MET, perhaps because it would be very difficult to do away with, but also because it is an iconic presence. This temple was a gift from the Egyptian government itself in commemoration for the United States’ assistance in saving various Egyptian monuments during the construction of the Aswan Dam. It showcases Isis, Osiris, their son Horus, and the other deities in Egyptian culture and also carvings of papyrus and lotus plants to the Nile god Hapy.

The Sackler Wing is a common place for entertainment for profit and nonprofit companies. It hosues half a thousand guests for dinner and dancing. I can only imagine how breathtaking the temple would be at night with glorious lights and decorations.

So the Whitney Museum was closed on tuesday so we went to the Met Museum instead. At first, I thought that I’ve never been there before, but as I come across some familiar paintings, I remembered that I did come here but I was really little. I didn’t know what to see until I saw the list of exhibitions. The first thing that popped in my eyes was the Korean exhibition. I was so excited. I had to see it no matter what. I didn’t want to see anything else. So I dragged some of my friends to come with me to see the exhibition. I was really amazed and was a bit of a surprised. I went to the exhibition, knowing what I’ll see and expect but I was surprised by the difference of what I had known. I am very familiar with the Korean culture and traditions that I am familiar with the pottery and jewelry of the Korean culture. I also see lots of historical Korean dramas so i thought I knew what to expect. I was surprised by the influences of other cultures it had on the Korean exhibition. I saw a cultural diffusion of Chinese, India, the Byzantine Empire and etc on the different pottery and jewelry. It was really amazing. I didn’t know that it had that much influence on Korea. It was cool to see different parts of cultures diffused into an artwork.

Also, I really liked seeing the different statues of Buddha as well from different kinds to the one I know now. I saw the past statues to present. It was really cool since I’ve seen most of them and seeing them in a museum gave me an amazement sort of feeling. I thought that I should bring my family here as well. I know they’ll love it! Well, except for my little sister. I was really happy that my culture was shown in a museum.

Here are the pictures of the exhibition. Well parts of the exhibition. Hope you guys like it as much as I did!

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2013/koreas-golden-kingdom/works-on-view

Our random visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art kind of caught me off guard on Election Day this year, but it was definitely a day to remember. Coming from a Japanese family and educational background, I never took the time to get to know Korea. Everything was all about either China or Japan, but I was really glad to have stepped into the exhibition. Growing up, the history teachers always brought up prosperous civilizations, like Babylon, the Mayans, the Aztecs, the Indus Valley, and so forth. But no, they never mentioned the amazing Korean civilization, Silla. The ancient Korean civilization of Silla was known for its gold, and thrived from (57 B.C. — A.D. 935). The exhibition, Silla: Korea’s Golden Kingdom, shows many of the artistic accomplishments of this small kingdom from A.D. 400–800. There are several splendid treasures and discoveries on display, including possessions of royalty and elite. These items were made in various places, as far as the Mediterranean and then back home to China.  I saw so many things that I liked, and I found two common themes amongst all the works that I visited. Obviously, gold was the major element used in all these works, but I kept coming across the great Buddha, a very important figure in Korea. I don’t really have a favorite, but I did find a few works fairly interesting. For example, the name of this thing is a chestlace (notice, not a necklace), and its made of gold, jade, and glass. Everything else is all gold mustard yellow, but the royal blue on this necklace really stood out to me. The green in the center is bangin’ gorgeous. I wonder how the people of that time used to wear these things.

I’ve been trying to draw a lion’s face accurately for the longest time ever, so when I got to this roof tile with a bestial face, I was stunned. No fair. People back then had less colors and knowledge about art, yet they still drew better than me. Wassup with that? Anyway, this roof tile is made of earth, and the museum calls it ‘Earthenware’. I think its gorgeous, although it many people might think its scary. Its got ancient skill to it, and thats all that matters.

“Numerous burials from the Roman Period were found in the forecourts of the temple of King Mentuhotep II (ca. 2061-2010 b.c.)… The woman’s wreathed head rests upon a gold pillow. Her white tunic has broad black clavi (stripes), and she wears a mantle with greenish black orbiculi (circular ornaments), ornaments popular from the late third century.”

When I went to the Egyptian unit at the Met Museum, I was expected actual, deceased mummified bodies to be on display.  I was also expecting sarcophagus upon sarcophagus to be available to us. Unfortunately, all that were available to us were old pottery and little knick-knacks like kitchen cutlery and things that Egyptian women embroidered in their hair. After frantically searching for “mummies” and passing by all the little things, I decided to take my time to read the little descriptions. Little did I know that there was more in this unit than meets the eye. There is so much history behind these little glass protection cases than I thought.

It was very interesting to see how different people hundreds of years lived back then. Many knick-knacks were very similar to things we have today. However, some were too abstract for me to tell right away. This “mummy with a Painted mask Depicting a Woman Holding a Goblet” stood out to me compared to the other things that were in the exhibit. I was amazed at how small this mummy was. I later researched this and found out this was approximately 61 in, about 5 feet. This is unusually small for a woman. Were people back then shorter than us? Is this cover completely irrelevant to the mummified person inside? What was the purpose of drawing on the cover of a mummified person? What did the goblet that the woman was holding representing? Was this person of any significant importance?

This was my first time at the Met and I hope to visit the Met again soon to take a closer look.

Mummies are so mysterious… I love mummies… 🙂

Tuesday was a very interesting experience, since I’ve never gone to the Met before. I had no idea it was so big; narrowing the visit down to a specific exhibit was very helpful. A few of us decided to go to the exhibition Balthus: Cats and Girls. I honestly had no idea what the exhibition was going to be about, but the name itself sounded interesting.
First off, it took us a pretty long time to get there. Not that we got lost or anything.. but the map was pretty confusing. It was nice though, since we had to go through several parts of the museum. We went through American History, the Egyptian Wing (which was personally one of my favorites), and maybe a few more. In the Egyptian part, there was a beautiful temple surrounded by water. The design is very unique, since Egyptian temples were not only houses, but also were representations of religious and mythological concepts, which is shown in the architecture and carvings on the temple. Professor Eversley brought up an interesting point as to how this might be the closest we could be to experiencing Egypt for a while, especially with the current situation Egypt is in right now. Looking at the temple that day made me realize lucky we are to have easy access to art from all around the world.

When we finally got to the exhibition, I was a bit surprised by the paintings I saw there. Balthus was a French painter whose interest, as shown in the exhibition, was girls who were on the threshold of puberty, “hovering between innocence and knowledge.” Many of his pictures had sexual connotations to it, since they portrayed girls as young as 14 posing in ways like shown in this picture

One picture that was of great interest to me was “The Victim,” which shows a young woman’s body that has been thrown on the bed. If you look closer, there is a knife on the floor an it happens to be pointing to her heart. It’s hard to tell if the woman was murdered and died, or if she is in a trance, especially since there is no sign of blood anywhere. I found this interesting because after our discussion of nudity from John Berger’s book, this painting shows nudity in a different perspective; the subject of this painting does not have a seductive look like the other paintings of nudity that we saw. Balthus finished this painting after he came back from serving in World War II, so this may be a reference to the horrors that he saw during the war.

Another observation that was made while walking through this exhibition was the amount of paint Balthus used; if you look closely at his paintings, you can see the thick layers and strokes that he made. He used a lot of paint, which implies that he was rich (something new that I learned that day)