On Thursday I took a trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, which I haven’t been to in well over a year. While I was there looking for art from around the same time Othello was written in (ca. 1603), I walked through a gallery section that contained pieces of art from Venice and Northern Italy between the year 1400 to 1600. All of the pieces in this section contained themes and ideas that are evident in Shakespeare’s play Othello. One piece in particular that caught my attention was titled Elements of the Light-Cavalry Armor. This armor suit, which was made from steel, gold and copper, allowed me to better visualize how Othello, an officer of the Venetian army, may have dressed. This armor suit’s design is deeply rooted in Christian symbolism and the Bible, giving a good sense of how crucial religion was to the Venetians of this era. Although this piece is said to have originated about one hundred years from the time Shakespeare wrote Othello, it is a good portrayal of how the characters in Othello may have dressed. This exhibit overall helped me to make a stronger connection between Othello and the era it was written in. I would definitely recommend any of the other students to check it out!
I also went to the MET museum and at first I was very sceptical of going because I wasn’t really that fond of going to museums. But when I went to the MET I was completely wrong because they have so many exhibits that have beautiful pieces of art. I also looked at this gallery and I must say it was very interesting to see the cultural items of that time. I was able to see many paintings and clothing of what people wore around that time which made me think of Othello. Besides this museum, I saw the exhibit that focused on European interiors which were amazing because the decor of the houses in those times looked so different from today’s era. But in overall I had a great experience and would enjoy going back to see the exhibits I missed.