My Experience in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

On September 20th, 2017, I observed a triptych in the Metropolitan Museum of Art for an analysis essay assigned by my art history professor. As a famous tourist site, there are a lot of visitors in the museum. However, the museum is commodious enough to hold the large number of visitors exploring art works there. The museum is divided into different zones according to different art origins and time periods. Art pieces are placed in a reasonable order so that they are not too close to each other that they influence the effect of viewing. Next to each art piece is the museum label giving information about the work. From my observation, the museum labels only give a brief introduction of the art works and leave space for the viewers’ own interpretation. Since art works of the same period and origins are sorted into one zone, it is easy to become dazed by the large number of art pieces. Of all the paintings hung on the wall, I encountered one exquisite triptych protected inside a glass box, standing out from all the others. It is small but as I took a closer look, I was surprised by the tedious details included inside (Quoted from my Museum Response Paper). I spent quite a bit time there observing the work and decided to write about how it awed me. After my observation, I took a walk around the museum to view different art works. It was astounding how by switching between different parts of the museum could lead to completely different auras and cultures. The experience felt like a journey to the world and a travel in time. It broadened my horizon and taught me not to limit myself to only one possibility as in one single museum exist civilizations from around the world and even from decades ago. Overall, my experience in the Metropolitan Museum of Art is enriching and memorable.