November Night
Listen . . .
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
—Adelaide Crapsey (American, 1878–1914)
Read a message (PDF) to Members and Friends of The Metropolitan Museum of Art from James R. Houghton, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.
Above: George Inness (American, 1825–1894). Autumn Oaks, ca. 1878. Oil on canvas; 20 3/8 x 30 1/8 in. (54.3 x 76.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of George I. Seney, 1887 (87.8.8). See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.
American Stories: Paintings of Everyday Life, 1765–1915
Through January 24, 2010
This exhibition features more than one hundred American masterpieces depicting ordinary people engaged in life's tasks and pleasures. It includes works by John Singleton Copley, Charles Willson Peale, William Sidney Mount, George Caleb Bingham, Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, William Merritt Chase, John Sloan, and others. Learn more about the exhibition through a special Web feature, which includes a blog.
Above: William Merritt Chase (American, 1849–1916). Ring Toss, 1896. Oil on canvas; 40 3/8 x 35 1/8 in. (102.6 x 89.2 cm). Marie and Hugh Halff. See the exhibition feature to learn more about this work of art.
Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid
Through November 29, 2009
On the occasion of the four hundredth anniversary of Henry Hudson's historic voyage to Manhattan from Amsterdam, the Rijksmuseum has loaned The Milkmaid, perhaps the most admired painting by Johannes Vermeer (1632–1675), to the Metropolitan Museum. This special exhibition presents the masterpiece with all five paintings by Vermeer from the Met's collection, along with a select group of works by other Dutch artists, placing Vermeer's superb picture in its historical context. Learn more about this exhibition or view images of the works on view.
Free Audio Guide
The Museum is pleased to offer the complete Audio Guide tour for "Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid" for free. Download the audio file and listen to it on your own MP3 player when you see the exhibition. After you take the tour, help us improve your Audio Guide experience by taking a short survey. Download the audio file now.
Roxy Paine on the Roof: Maelstrom
Through November 29, 2009 (weather permitting)
The American artist Roxy Paine (b. 1966) has created a 130-foot-long by 45-foot-wide stainless-steel sculpture, especially for the Museum's Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Giving viewers the sense of being immersed in the midst of a cataclysmic force of nature, Maelstrom is Paine's largest and most ambitious work to date. Learn more about this exhibition.
Watch a video of Roxy Paine and his crew installing Maelstrom.
Watteau, Music, and Theater
Through November 29, 2009
The exhibition explores the place of music and theater in the work of the great early eighteenth-century French painter and draftsman Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684–1721). In addition to material drawn from various departments of the Museum, including musical instruments, porcelains, and prints, the exhibition includes a number of major loans of paintings and drawings by Watteau and his contemporaries from other collections in the United States and Europe. Learn more about this exhibition.
The Lens and the Mirror: Self-Portraits from the Collection, 1957–2007
Through December 6, 2009
Artists' self-portraits hold an enduring fascination for the viewer. When confronting an artist's self-image, we not only feed our curiosity about the creator's appearance, but we also witness the maker in an act of self-encounter and are invited, at least ostensibly, to gain insight into his or her nature. In addition, we may be granted a glimpse into the private realms of the studio, the home, or the psyche. This installation includes more than fifty paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and prints from the collection. While not all the artists presented in this exhibition were habitual self-portraitists, some, including Lucas Samaras and Nahum B. Zenil, have compulsively returned to the fertile ground of self-depiction throughout their careers, while others, such as Nikki S. Lee and Cindy Sherman, have made themselves the exclusive subject of their art. View images from this exhibition.
Looking In: Robert Frank's The Americans
Through January 3, 2010
This exhibition celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of The Americans, Robert Frank's influential suite of black-and-white photographs made on a cross-country road trip in 1955–56. Although Frank's depiction of American life was criticized when the book was released in the U.S. in 1959, it soon became recognized as a masterpiece of street photography. Born in Switzerland in 1924, Frank is considered one of the great living masters of photography. The exhibition features all eighty-three photographs published in The Americans and is the first time that this body of work is presented to a New York audience. View images from this exhibition.
Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868
Through January 10, 2010
This is the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to the arts of the samurai. Arms and armor are the principal focus, bringing together the finest examples of armor, swords and sword mountings, archery equipment and firearms, equestrian equipment, banners, surcoats, and related accessories of rank such as fans and batons. Drawn entirely from public and private collections in Japan, the majority of objects date from the rise of the samurai in the late Heian period, ca. 1156, through the early modern Edo period, ending in 1868, when samurai culture was abolished.
View images from this exhibition.
Cinnabar: The Chinese Art of Carved Lacquer
Through February 21, 2010
Although it is used in many Asian cultures, the art of carving lacquer is unique to China. Lacquer is the resin (or sap) of a family of trees (Rhus verniciflua) found throughout southern China. It is an amazing material that hardens when exposed to oxygen and becomes a natural plastic that is resistant to water and can withstand heat and certain acids. This exhibition, which celebrates the Museum's collection and includes significant loans from the Florence and Herbert Irving Collection, showcases approximately fifty examples dating from the thirteenth to the eighteenth century. It includes several recently acquired works as well as small boxes for holding incense or cosmetics and larger containers used for papers, scrolls, or presenting gifts. It also presents an important eighteenth-century screen that has recently been restored and is being displayed for the first time. View images from this exhibition.
Special exhibitions are free with admission. See all current exhibitions.
The Apollo Circle—a Membership group for individuals in their twenties and thirties—and The Apollo Circle Benefit Committee present the sixth-annual Apollo Circle Benefit on Thursday, November 12. Join us for an evening of dancing, cocktails, and sweet and savory treats. Funds raised will support The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Conservation Departments. Learn more about this event or purchase tickets now.
For more information about The Apollo Circle or the Benefit, please email apollo.circle@metmuseum.org or call 212-650-2371.
Image: George Platt Lynes (American, 1907–1955). Salvador Dali, 1939. Gelatin silver print with applied pigment. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, David Hunter McAlpin Fund, 1941 (41.65.28). © Estate of George Platt Lynes. See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.
The Cloisters Museum and Gardens—the Metropolitan Museum's branch in Northern Manhattan dedicated to medieval art—offers a variety of weekend programs on an ongoing basis, including Gallery Talks, Gallery Workshops for Families, and programs in Spanish. See Events and Programs at The Cloisters for more information, or see the calendar for information about programs on a particular day.
Join the Discussion
"The Medieval Garden Enclosed" is a blog dedicated to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters. Explore the role of plants and gardens in medieval life and art, learn how to find and grow medieval herbs and flowers, discuss the long histories of many familiar garden plants, and discover which roadside weeds were once valued medicinals.
Image: Visitors enjoying the Bonnefont Garden at The Cloisters Museum and Gardens. Photograph by Evan Lee.
The Museum offers a variety of ongoing programs for educators. See Teacher Programs for more information about all programs offered by the Museum.
Full-Day Workshop: The Art of the Samurai
Saturday, November 22, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Location: Uris Center for Education, ground floor
Visit "Art of the Samurai: Japanese Arms and Armor, 1156–1868," the first comprehensive exhibition devoted to arms and armor from the late Heian period through the modern Edo period. Discover daily life of the samurai, their governing lords, and the ruling shoguns through painted scrolls and screens and accessories of rank, such as fans and batons. Learn about the materials and techniques used in creating these works of art, visit the permanent collection, and discuss classroom teaching approaches with Museum educators.There is an $80 registration fee for this event. See Teacher Programs for registration information. For more information about teacher programs, please call 212-570-3985 or email teachers@metmuseum.org. Enrollment for all workshops is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's American Wing—including The Charles Engelhard Court and the American period rooms—reopened last month. After more than two years of construction and renovation, the unparalleled collections of American furniture, sculpture, stained glass, architectural elements, ceramics, glass, silver, pewter, and jewelry are once again accessible to the public. Learn more about this exciting project, or go to our YouTube channel to watch the ribbon-cutting ceremony with special guest First Lady Michelle Obama or a behind-the-scenes tour with the Museum's Director, Thomas Campbell, and Morrison Heckscher, Lawrence A. Fleischman Chairman of The American Wing.
Hello, Met!
Families new to the Museum (youngsters ages five through twelve and accompanying adults) receive a warm and stimulating introduction to its encyclopedic collection through discussion and sketching of its masterpieces. See the calendar for upcoming dates and times.
Image: Photograph by Evan Lee.
Each week, the Museum offers hundreds of events and programs that are free with Museum admission—including lectures, films, tours, family activities, and more. The following featured events are just a sample of the free programs currently scheduled. See the calendar to plan your next visit.
Film: New York: The Country and the City (1609–1825)
Thursday, November 12, 2:00 p.m.
Bonnie J. Sacerdote Lecture Hall, Uris Center for Education
Directed by Ric Burns, this 1999 film chronicles New York's beginnings, from its earliest days as a Dutch trading post to the construction of the Erie Canal (120 min.). This film is shown in conjunction with the special exhibition "Vermeer's Masterpiece The Milkmaid."
Concert: Music for a Fête Galante
Thursday, November 12, 3:30 p.m.
European Paintings Galleries, 2nd floor
Join us for this special concert by ensemble "Les Plaisirs de Versailles," led by violinist Robert Mealy, who will play the Museum's 1693 violin by Antonio Stradivari.
See the calendar to see more events listed by date.
Above: Bruce Davidson (American, b. 1933). [Gallery Talk, Metropolitan Museum of Art], 1968. Gelatin silver print. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of the Hundredth Anniversary Committee, 1974 (1974.513.38). © Bruce Davidson, Magnum Photos. See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.
Open Late Fridays and Saturdays
Did you know that the main building of the Museum is open until 9:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings? Stop by for an after-work visit to the galleries or to meet friends in the Balcony Bar for live classical music and a light snack.
Take advantage of a special reduced rate on Friday and Saturday evenings. After 5:00 p.m., Audio Guides are only $5. (Not to be combined with any other discounts.)
See Plan Your Visit for more information about Museum hours and admission.
Register for free in My Met Museum to take advantage of any or all of the following special features:
Free email newsletters of your choice (Special Exhibitions newsletter, Met News, and more)
Automatic reminders about events that interest you
My Met Gallery—a place for you to organize all your favorite works of art from the Met's highlights so you can view them again and again
A customized calendar that displays events according to your preferences (concerts, films, family programs, and more)
Image: Joseph H. Davis (1811–1865). Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Otis and Child (detail), 1834. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1972 (1972.263.6). See the Collection Database to learn more about this work of art.
