The 2007 opening of the Hellenistic, Etruscan, and Roman galleries—an entire wing housing over 5,300 objects in more than 30,000 square feet—completed the reconstruction and reinstallation of the permanent galleries of Greek and Roman art. The newest galleries present Hellenistic art and its legacy alongside those of Southern Italy and Etruria, forming the background to the story of Rome from the Late Republican period and the Golden Age of Augustus's Principate to the conversion of Constantine the Great in A.D. 312.
The centerpiece of the new installation is the Leon Levy and Shelby White Court, a dramatic, skylit space that links the various galleries and themes. These include displays of the art of Magna Graecia and the world of the Etruscans, together with the stunning collection of Roman wall paintings that is unrivaled outside of Italy. The presentation of the art of the Late Hellenistic and Early Imperial periods is crowned by the newly reconstructed Cubiculum from the villa at Boscoreale near Pompeii and the Black Bedroom from Boscotrecase. In addition, on the mezzanine floor overlooking Fifth Avenue, there is a large display covering the entire cultural and chronological span of the department's rich collection.
