All Essays
Modern and Contemporary Art
Read about the story behind The Met's extensive collection of early twentieth-century modern European decorative art.
Marilyn Friedman
June 30, 2022
Learn about recent discoveries from provenance research for Albert André’s painting The Masons.
Mary Chan and Sabine Rewald
April 9, 2021
Curators Randall Griffey and Kelly Baum reflect on the life of Hungarian born artist Judit Reigl (1945–2020) and her masterpiece Guano (Menhir).
Randall Griffey and Kelly Baum
August 14, 2020
Ian Alteveer reflects on the life of artist Susan Rothenberg (1945–2020) and her masterpiece Galisteo Creek.
Ian Alteveer
May 22, 2020
Curator Sheena Wagstaff reflects on the life and art of one of India's great cultural figures, Zarina Hashmi (1937–2020).
Sheena Wagstaff
April 28, 2020
Though often pigeonholed as a Surrealist, the Catalan modernist Joan Miró considered his art to be free of any “ism.”
Rachel Boate
July 1, 2018
Born on February 4, 1881, in Normandy, France, Léger grew up in a family of cattle farmers who discouraged his interest in an artistic career.
Rachel Boate
May 1, 2018
During his short life, [Boccioni] produced some of [Futurism’s] iconic paintings and sculptures, capturing the color and dynamism of modern life in a style he theorized and defended in manifestos, books, and articles.
Rosalind McKever
August 1, 2016
Like the avant-garde artists who preceded them, these contemporary artists show how wordplay can be used as a means to address larger artistic, social, and political concerns.
Jennifer Farrell
August 1, 2016
Among the most prolific and creative printmakers of his era, the German artist Max Klinger (1857–1920) revived printmaking in his native country at a time when it struggled to overcome industrial connotations.
Britany Salsbury
March 1, 2016