A Glorious Institution

Way back in October, I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art with Connie, Maryam, and some of her friends. This might have been the eighth time I visited the Met in the last two years. But every time I go back, I discover something new or I rediscover something old. This time, I discovered the roof. Actually, Maryam pitched this idea. I had never been on the roof of the Met before and this was the last day it was going to be open for until next year.

The view was spectacular, particularly due to the strange forms of the clouds that floated amongst the skyscrapers. It was cold that afternoon, but the intensity of the blue sky was just too breathtaking for me to run back inside to the warm. And an hour later, the sky began to change colors, to a marvelous pink and a deep orange. I would live on the clouds if I could.

What I noticed about the roof was that most visitors walked right past the sculptors to look at the view and take pictures. Let that not mislead you, though. The sculptures were interesting, abstract in form and some vibrant in color. And they were huge, hard to miss in another location. But I guess the view overshadowed the art.

Afterwards, we went through the later (as opposed to medieval) European paintings and sculptures gallery. I’ve walked through this specific gallery countless times. I remember a month or so before this visit, in August or September, I went to the Met just to look at the artwork in this gallery and I spent hours walking through and through the gallery looking for Jean-Leon Gerome’s Galatea and Pygmalion, only to discover that it wasn’t on view. But each time I walk through this maze-like gallery, I discover new paintings that I adore.

As if this trip wasn’t enough, I returned the next week! (But for a completely different reason.) I went back to find an artwork to analyze for my CORC Art midterm paper. And I spent hours just in the European Decorative Arts and Sculptures gallery, carefully looking at hundreds of sculptures. I even stayed until the kicked me out. Oh the things I do for school. But, no complaints. I love visiting museums, especially at night when the attendance is low and the mood is romantic. In fact, I strolled through the sculpture court with live lounge/jazz music playing next to me. I felt high-class.