There is no event in the upcoming season that is so defining for the life of this institution, for New York, and for art lovers around the world than the completion of the New Greek and Roman Galleries, involving the installation of thousands of works of classical art from the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

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Carlos Picón, Curator in Charge, Department of Greek and Roman Art, discusses the New Greek and Roman Galleries.

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Additional video footage provides a quiet glimpse of the first visitors enjoying the serene beauty of the new galleries. Play the additional footage. (RealPlayer: 5:50 minutes)

The New Greek and Roman Galleries house art created between about 900 B.C. and the early fourth century A.D., tracing the parallel stories of the evolution of Greek art in the Hellenistic period and the arts of southern Italy and Etruria and culminating in the rich and varied world of the Roman Empire. The astonishing assembly of works on display—some never before seen by the public—bring to life the visual and conceptual roots of Western civilization.
Read more about the works on view, or see a list of images of selected highlights.

The preparation to open the New Greek and Roman Galleries was a huge undertaking involving major renovations to the gallery space, painstaking conservation of the works of art, and a carefully planned and executed installation. View images of the construction, conservation of works of art, and installation of the galleries.