
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of the largest and most important museums in the world, with over 2 million works of art from across 5,000 years of human history. The Met's collection includes masterpieces from ancient Egypt, classical antiquity, Asia, India, Africa, the Americas, and Europe. Some of the most famous paintings in the museum include Claude Monet's works in the 19th and Early 20th Century European wing, Pablo Picasso's 1906 portrait of Gertrude Stein, and Juan de Pareja by Velázquez, which was hailed as a landmark work of Western portraiture when it was painted in 1650. Other notable works include a double-sided Van Gogh canvas, which showcases the artist's stylistic evolution, and Washington Crossing the Delaware by Emanuel Leutze, a famous example of American patriotism.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of paintings | 500 |
| Time period | Over 5,000 years |
| Geography | Ancient Egypt, Classical antiquity, Byzantine, Medieval, Asia, India, Africa, the Americas, Europe, and North America |
| Artists | Duccio, El Greco, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Bronzino, Caravaggio, Turner, Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt, Brueghel, Vermeer, David, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Degas, Sargent, Homer, Matisse, Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol |
| Notable works | Washington Crossing the Delaware, Juan de Pareja, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints, The Potato Peeler |
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What You'll Learn

Ancient Egyptian masterpieces
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City showcases art from across the globe, spanning over 5,000 years. The museum's collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts and artworks is particularly renowned, dating from the Paleolithic era (300,000 B.C.) to the Roman period (4th century A.D.).
One of the most notable pieces in the Egyptian collection is the Temple of Dendur, a small structure built over 2,000 years ago during the reign of the Roman emperor Augustus. The temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis and the local Nubian chieftains Pedesi and Pihor, is the only ancient Egyptian temple in the United States. Gifted by the Egyptian government in 1965, it was meticulously dismantled, shipped, and reconstructed within the museum, complete with a reflecting pool mirroring the original site on the Nile.
The museum also boasts an extensive array of Egyptian sculptures, including a large kneeling statue of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, housed in Gallery 115. Additionally, the museum displays masterpieces of funerary art, such as a gilded cedar coffin and mummy mask from the Roman period, adorned with gold and silver.
The Department of Egyptian Art, established in 1906, has been instrumental in curating this exceptional collection. Through excavations at significant sites like Memphis, the Senenmut Tombs, and the Tomb of the Three Wives of Thutmose III, the museum has acquired invaluable artefacts shedding light on ancient Egypt's history, daily life, and artistic achievements.
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Classical antiquity masterpieces
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City showcases art from across the globe, spanning over 5,000 years. The museum's collection of Greek and Roman art totals over 17,000 objects, representing ancient civilisations from Greece, Cyprus, Etruria, and Rome. The Department of Greek and Roman Art was established in 1870 with the acquisition of a Roman sarcophagus from 200–225 AD.
The Art of the Classical World at the Met includes sections on the Neolithic and Aegean Bronze Age, Geometric and Archaic Greece, Classical Greece, and the Hellenistic Age. The highlights of the collection include a marble Cycladic seated harp player, a Mycenaean chariot krater, a statue of a Kouros (the most important Archaic Greek sculpture in America), Attic red-figure vases, marble grave stelai, a large column from the Temple of Artemis at Sardis, a pair of gold armbands, and a well-preserved bronze and ivory chariot from the sixth century B.C.
The Robert and Renée Belfer Court, opened in 1996, showcases prehistoric and early Greek art. The seven galleries for Greek art of the archaic and classical periods (sixth to fourth century BCE) opened in 1999 and present themes such as religion, funerary customs, civic life, and athletics. The Mary and Michael Jaharis Gallery, located in the centre of the installation, is a grand, barrel-vaulted space that is ideal for exhibiting large-scale marble sculptures, bronzes, and vases.
The Study Collection, located on the mezzanine above the Leon Levy and Shelby White Court, contains approximately 3,500 objects from the Neolithic period in the Aegean to the end of antiquity in the Mediterranean world (early seventh century CE). This collection includes more than 16,000 fragments of Greek vases, which have been digitised and are accessible on the Met's website.
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Byzantine and medieval masterpieces
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has a large collection of medieval and Byzantine art. The collection encompasses the art of the Mediterranean and Europe from the fall of Rome in the fourth century to the beginning of the Renaissance in the sixteenth century. It also includes pre-medieval European works of art created during the Bronze Age and early Iron Age.
The collection is displayed in The Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters, the museum's branch in northern Manhattan dedicated to the art and architecture of medieval Europe. The Cloisters is located on four acres overlooking the Hudson River in Fort Tryon Park.
The Met's collection of Byzantine art can be found in the Main Building, in the Mary and Michael Jaharis Galleries, which include the Apse Gallery exhibiting religious works from the middle and late Byzantine periods. The Byzantine collection includes the Second Cyprus Treasure, with its plates representing the life of the biblical King David, as well as textiles, architectural fragments, and tomb monuments from the Museum's excavations in Byzantine Egypt. The galleries also feature secular art from later Byzantine centuries, including ceramics, cloisonné enamels, and carved ivory caskets.
The Met's medieval collection includes the celebrated Merode Triptych by the Netherlandish master Robert Campin, sculptures by Tilman Riemenschneider, and altarpieces from Spain. The Cloisters feature exceptional examples of stained-glass windows, including those from Austria and Germany, as well as the gallery displaying the seven tapestries of The Hunt of the Unicorn. The museum also holds an extensive collection of early medieval art, including the jewellery of Anglo-Saxons, Franks, and Visigoths, highlighting the artistic achievements of western Europe.
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Asian masterpieces
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City is one of the largest and most important museums in the world. It boasts an extensive collection of Asian art, with over 35,000 objects ranging from the third millennium BC to the present day. The Met's Asian art collection is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world, representing six major cultural traditions: Afghanistan, the Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia, China, Korea, and Japan. The museum has been collecting Asian art since the late 19th century, with many of its earliest benefactors including Asian objects in their bequests to the museum.
The Department of Asian Art at The Met is dedicated to showcasing the artistic achievements of these diverse cultures, with a particular focus on paintings, calligraphy, prints, sculptures, metalwork, ceramics, and lacquers. The East Asian Painting Conservation Studio is responsible for the preservation and mounting of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Himalayan paintings.
The Met's collection of Chinese painting and calligraphy is one of the greatest in the world, with masterpieces dating from the Tang dynasty (608–917) to the present. One notable example is the handscroll "Finches and Bamboo" by Emperor Huizong (1082–1135) from the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). This intricate work is painted with ink and colour on silk and measures 13 1/4 x 21 13/16 inches (33.7 x 55.4 cm).
In addition to Chinese masterpieces, The Met also features outstanding works from other Asian cultures. The museum's vast collection includes paintings from India, Southeast Asia, and beyond, offering a comprehensive overview of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world. With its dedication to celebrating and preserving Asian art, The Met provides a valuable opportunity to explore and appreciate the diverse cultural heritage of Asia.
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European masterpieces
The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City showcases over 5,000 years of art from across the globe. The museum's collection includes masterpieces from Europe, such as those by European masters like Duccio, El Greco, Raphael, Titian, Botticelli, Bronzino, Caravaggio, Turner, Velázquez, Goya, Rubens, Rembrandt, Brueghel, Vermeer, David, Renoir, Monet, Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cézanne, Degas, Sargent, Homer, Matisse, Picasso, and Pollock.
One of the most significant paintings in the Met's collection is the portrait of Juan de Pareja, an enslaved Afro-Hispanic man, by Velázquez. Painted in Rome in the early 1650s, it was hailed as a landmark work of Western portraiture. The Met also holds a self-portrait by Van Gogh, which is a highlight of the 19th and Early 20th Century European wing. This double-sided canvas showcases the artist's transition from his early style, represented by "The Potato Peeler", to the evocative, slashing strokes of his later work.
Other notable European masterpieces in the Met's collection include works by Auguste Rodin, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, and Jackson Pollock. The museum also boasts prized Byzantine and medieval altarpieces, as well as ancient Egyptian and classical antiquities.
The Met's Islamic Art wing features artworks from Iran during the Samanid period, including an earthenware bowl with exceptional calligraphic detail. The painting on the bowl's inner rim translates to "Planning before work protects you from regret; prosperity and peace."
The museum also has a publication titled "Masterpieces of Painting in the Metropolitan Museum of Art," which provides a guide to its extensive collection. This book offers colour illustrations and details of approximately 500 masterpieces, aiming to prepare readers for encountering the actual paintings in the museum.
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