EXPLORING THE UNITED STATES AFTER THE 9/11 TERRORIST ATTACKS - Phạm Việt Long

METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS - Phạm Việt Long -13

Address: 1,000 5th Avenue, 82nd Street, the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts is situated in an area adorned with lush trees in the heart of New York City. The museum's architectural design is nestled within a courtyard adjacent to a park, seamlessly blending the indoor exhibits with the natural surroundings. This connection with nature offers visitors a pleasant respite after exploring the galleries filled with art and artifacts.

Our tour guide for the day was Mary Bethlehem Orely, a woman approximately 50 years old, who possessed a robust physique yet moved with remarkable agility and unwavering dedication. What's noteworthy is that she is not a paid employee of the museum but a volunteer tour guide. Mary informed us that there are four guided tours daily, but guests are free to explore the areas that pique their interest without joining a tour. Upon entering the museum, I noticed numerous students, often in groups with teachers guiding them. Throughout the corridors, you'll find benches and expansive wooden floors, providing ample spots for guests to take a break. Mary mentioned that our tour would last only 45 minutes, allowing us to visit the most captivating exhibits.

Here's a brief overview of the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts: With over 5 million annual visitors, the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts, commonly known as "The Met," is New York's most frequented tourist attraction. Established in 1870, the museum's collection now boasts more than 2 million artworks spanning ancient to modern times. The museum categorizes and presents artifacts in various sections, including:

The American Decorative Arts Collection: Featuring furniture, silverware, tinware, glassware, ceramics, and textiles from the late 17th to early 20th centuries, along with domestic architectural displays. The Collection of Ancient Near Eastern Art: Showcasing carvings, stone sculptures, ivory artifacts, and precious metal items from various regions and eras, from Anatolia to the valley. The Weapons and Armored Vehicles Collection: Displaying armored vehicles, chariots, martial arts weapons, and ornate costumes from Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas. The Africa, Oceania, and Americas Art Collection: Encompassing ceremonial and memorial pieces, jewelry, and everyday tools from three continents and Pacific islands. The Asian Art Collection: Featuring paintings, calligraphy, sculptures, ceramics, bronze works, jade, lacquerware, textiles, and screens from ancient China, Japan, Korea, and South Asia. The Monks Collection: Focusing on European medieval art and architecture, including sculpture, inscriptions, stained glass, metalwork, enamel, ivory, paintings, and carpets. The Costume Institute: Showcasing fashion clothing spanning seven centuries and five continents, including regional costumes and items for men, women, and children. The Drawings and Prints Collection: Highlighting Renaissance and later graphic art, including various printing techniques, sketches, illustrated books, and works on paper. The Egyptian Art Collection: Featuring statues, carvings, inscriptions, funerary objects, jewelry, everyday items, and architectural elements spanning prehistoric Egypt to the Roman period. Collection of Asian Paintings: Displaying frames, panels, triptychs, and frescoes created by masters from Italy, Flanders, Dutch, France, Spain, and others. The Asian Sculpture and Decorative Arts Collection: Exhibiting sculptures, furniture, pottery, glassware, metalwork, scientific instruments, textiles, and period rooms from Renaissance-era Western Europe to the early 20th century. The Collection of Greek and Roman Art: Showcasing Greek, Roman, Etruscan, and Cypriot art up to the 4th century AD, including marble sculptures, bronze works, vases, frescoes, jewelry, jade carvings, glassware, and utensils. The Islamic Art Collection: Featuring calligraphy samples, miniatures, carpets, intricate ornaments, and architectural elements dating back to the 7th century onwards, spanning from Morocco to India. The Robert Leman Collection: A private donation of paintings and decorative arts, spanning from the Italian Renaissance to the 20th century. Reference libraries: Housing rare first print publications, artists' treatises, illustrated books, and early works on art history. The Medieval Art Collection: Displaying artworks from Europe, the Eastern Roman Empire, the Carolingian dynasty, and the Romanesque period, dating from the 4th to the 16th century, including sculptures, tapestries, coffins, and votive objects. The Modern Art Collection: Encompassing American and European paintings, works on paper, sculpture, design, and architecture, representing major art movements since 1900.