About the Exhibition

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To celebrate Philippe de Montebello’s thirty-one years as director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum’s Forum of Curators, Conservators, and Scientists has organized an exhibition of approximately three hundred works of art—from a total of more than eighty-four thousand—that were acquired during his tenure. This unique project is a collaboration among curators from the Museum’s seventeen curatorial departments. Special emphasis is placed on works that have been transformative to the Metropolitan Museum’s collection by building on existing strengths and expanding into new areas.

Acquired by purchase and donation, individually and in groups, these works demonstrate how the de Montebello years have enhanced the Museum’s encyclopedic collection dramatically and have encouraged public access to the greatness of the world’s artistic traditions. Read more about the exhibition or see images of the works on view.

About Philippe de Montebello

Philippe de Montebello began his career at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1963 in its Department of European Paintings and rose steadily through the curatorial ranks. Except for four-and-a-half years as director of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (1969–1974), he has spent his entire career at the Met, returning in 1974 to assume the post of vice director for curatorial and educational affairs, and then becoming the Museum’s director in 1977. Read more about Philippe de Montebello.

Special Features

Audio

A special series of interviews between Philippe de Montebello and the Museum's curators provides an inside look into the Museum's collections. Each conversation highlights a particular work of art that is featured in the exhibition. See a list of all available interviews.

Audio and video content is also available through Met Podcast, including a special episode, enhanced with images, in which curator Helen Evans previews the exhibition. See Met Podcast for more information, or to subscribe.

Videos

In conjunction with the exhibition, the public television series Great Museums has created a series of Webisodes that offer a behind-the-scenes look at the planning and installation of the exhibition. The full one-hour episode of Great Museums dedicated to the exhibition will air in spring 2009. Watch the latest Webisode or see a list of all available related videos.

Subscribe to a special RSS feed to receive audio and video content related to this exhibition.

Related Events

The Museum's Concerts & Lectures Department has organized a subscription series of three evenings with Philippe de Montebello on the stage of Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. See the calendar for more information about the series, which is entitled Philippe de Montebello: A Triptych.

A wide range of educational programs is also scheduled in conjunction with the exhibition, including lectures, gallery talks, and films. Special events exclusively for Museum Members are also scheduled. Search the calendar for a list of all upcoming events related to the exhibition.

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Help Us Build the Collection

This exhibition powerfully demonstrates how contributions toward the purchase of works of art can literally transform the Met’s collection. Please consider a donation to the Philippe de Montebello Acquisitions Fund.

See Ways to Give for more information about how to support the Museum.

Met Publications

Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History

As part of his goal to make scholarly resources available to the public, Mr. de Montebello supported the establishment of the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of the history of art from around the world, as illustrated by the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. The Museum's curatorial, conservation, and education staff—the largest team of art experts anywhere in the world—research and write the Timeline, which is an invaluable reference and research tool for students, educators, scholars, and anyone interested in the study of art history and related subjects.

Exhibition Catalogues and Other Publications

Mr. de Montebello’s tenure has been marked throughout by notable growth in the institution’s publishing program. Now the leading art book publisher in the United States, the Metropolitan Museum issues between twenty-five and thirty lavishly illustrated, prize-winning collection and exhibition catalogues each year. Many of these catalogues may be purchased online in The Met Store. You may also see Met Publications for more information on recent and upcoming publications.