The Metropolitan Museum of Art
September 29, 2014
On Sunday, I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art, otherwise known as the MET. There were numerous collections of art, and I decided to explore two European paintings galleries. They exhibited artworks from different time periods: one from the years 1250 to 1800 and another from 19th century to early 20th century.
Many works from the 16th century reminded me of the scripture we read in class, Genesis 1. The majority of them was dedicated to portraying the notions of Christianity, as well as the religious figures including Jesus Christ and Virgin Mary. Even the subjects of traditional portraits were mostly monks and the followers of Jesus.
On the other hand, paintings during the 18th century possessed dark, gloomy backgrounds, which often brought out the ideas of sublime. Of course, we all know that sublime was a significant element of the Romantic Era. Many of them depicted war, nature, natural disasters, etc. One drawing that awed me the most was The Forest in Winter at Sunset, painted by Theodore Rousseau. Its size captivated me at first, as it is a vast piece of artwork; its dimensions are 64 x 102 3/8 in. The painting not only impressed me with the feelings of horror and dreadfulness, but it also made me wonder: ‘why did the artist produce such artwork?’ Unfortunately, he passed away before he could finish it.
Interestingly, the overall floor plan of the MET resembles that of a maze. Because of narrow aisles that connect different galleries, you won’t be able to guess what you will encounter unless you actually enter the room. This was one of the aspects that I liked about the museum. Every time I traveled from one room to another, I was filled with an excitement to view more artworks.
Before Sunday’s visit to the MET, I never understood people who visited art galleries during their pastime. However, this experience was truly inspiring. I will definitely explore many more museums in New York City, perhaps to make my ordinary life ‘sublime’.
The Forest in Winter at Sunset, painted by Théodore Rousseau