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Research at The Met

Our research takes full advantage of The Met's resources and offers object-based study using a collection that spans thousands of years of world history. We welcome an international community of students and scholars.

Conducting Research at The Met

Individuals reading at wooden tables in a library with floor-to-ceiling windows on the right wall.

Thomas J. Watson Library

Thomas J. Watson Library is The Met's research library. With its collection of more than one million volumes, extensive digital collections, and online resources, Watson Library is one of the world's most comprehensive art libraries.
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A small office space with two long wooden table, shelves filled with office supplies, and floor to ceiling filing cabinets. There is a person in a suit seated at the table looking at papers and another person walking near the filing cabinets.

Museum Archives

The objective of The Metropolitan Museum of Art Archives is to collect, organize, and preserve in perpetuity the corporate records and official correspondence of the Museum, to make the collection accessible and provide research support, and to further an informed and enduring understanding of the Museum's history.
https://www.metmuseum.org/art/libraries-and-research-centers/museum-archives
Tall glass display cases showing object storage for the American Wing.

Study Rooms and Study Collections

Explore numerous on-site study spaces and open storage to take a closer look at objects in The Met collection. Some spaces require advanced registration.
Learn about onsite research spaces

Researching from Anywhere

A darkly lit gallery with white marble statues of men and women.
The Met Collection
Explore works in the online collection.
A stack of five books published by The Met
MetPublications
Explore over 1,700 titles from the last six decades.
A spread from the guest book kept between 1923 and 1939 by Minnie Burton, wife of photographer Harry Burton, at Metropolitan House on the West Bank at Thebes. Album displays handwritten notes and black-and-white photos of people in various poses.
Thomas J. Watson Digital Collection
Access the Museum's rare and unique research materials including auction catalogues, Met publications, photographic albums, ephemeral materials, illustrated books, and archival collections.
A handwritten letter dated February 2, 1889, written on stationery printed with the address “51, High Street, Stourbridge,” addressed to Henry G. Marquand in New York, with neat cursive script filling the page
Manuscript Collections
Archival materials from Watson Library, Museum Archives, and several curatorial departments.

Research Centers and Initiatives

A collection of adults standing in the Lehman galleries.

Leonard A. Lauder Research Center for Modern Art

A world-leading center for research on modern art and modernism, offering fellowships, grants, and residencies, and hosting public lectures and events.
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An open medieval manuscript featuring illustrated scenes of biblical figures on the left page and ornate lettering on aged parchment on the right page.
Provenance Research at The Met
Every object in The Met collection has a unique history, purpose, and context. Part of the Museum’s mission is to research and present the provenance of every piece in our care.
A collage of historical Dada and Surrealist magazine covers from the early 20th century featuring eclectic designs, typography, and illustrations on a black background.
The Bluff Collaborative for Research on Dada and Surrealism
The Collaborative generates new scholarship by bringing together knowledge from the museum, archive, lab, and studio to advance fresh perspectives on the power of art and ideas in society today.
Two images of scientists at work, superimposed with the logo for NICS, written under an outline of the NYC skyline.
Network Initiative for Conservation Science (NICS)
Learn how NICS advances research and scholarship in art history, archaeology, conservation, and science by sharing The Met's cutting-edge scientific research facilities and analytical instrumentation, expertise, and resources.

Select Projects

Fellowships

Three men stand in a painting restoration workshop, examining large paintings on easels. One man in the background is in a light blue shirt and khaki pants, and is seen from behind. The other two face the artwork; one with a notebook, the other listening. They are surrounded by framed portraits paintings and altarpieces.

The Met Fellowship Program

Fellowship opportunities for junior and senior academics, postdocs, and museum professionals to conduct research at The Met.
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