Diary of a Ceiling Fan

The ceiling in the Great Hall

«I constantly find myself looking up at the ceilings whenever I visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Turning my gaze upward allows me to clear my thoughts and forget about any commotion around me.» In a space like the Great Hall, the immensity and expansiveness of the domed ceiling are very humbling. Even if I am stepping into a small period room with five other visitors, I can be transported immediately to a different setting and swallowed up by the atmosphere.

Whether constructed by Indian artisans in the late sixteenth century or by modern American architects, the ceilings at the Met display an admirable attention to detail. Check out some of my favorites below.

Ceiling in gallery 237 (South Asian Hindu-Buddhist and Jain Sculpture)

Ceiling in gallery 243 (South Asian Hindu-Buddhist and Jain Sculpture)

Ceiling in gallery 505 (The Swiss Room)

Ceiling in gallery 507 (Bedroom from the Sagredo Palace in Venice, ca. 1718)

Photographs by Helen Lin

What is your favorite ceiling in The Metropolitan Museum of Art? We hope you'll let us know in the comments section below.