Now on MetCollects: How Does a Foreigner Define America?

A common misconception about The Met is that, because of its vast collection, it must not acquire new objects, but the Museum is continually collecting and acquiring new works for The Met collection every year. A new acquisition is highlighted every month in MetCollects, our online series celebrating works new to the Museum's collection. Each episode takes a look at the object or artwork through the fresh eyes of photographers and the enthusiastic voices of The Met's curators, leading scholars, and artists.

Episode 4 / 2018: Pier Table by Charles-Honoré Lannuier

Curator Alyce Perry Englund introduces a pier table by Charles-Honoré Lannuier in MetCollects episode 4 / 2018.

Two recent episodes take an in-depth look at works by immigrants who came to America more than a century apart. Charles-Honoré Lannuier (1779–1819) was a French cabinetmaker who migrated to New York from Paris at the age of twenty-four. Although the motivations for his move are unknown, he came of age during the French Revolution and joined the community of French exiles in New York that had fled Paris during that time.

Alyce Perry Englund, assistant curator of American decorative arts in the American Wing, explains that his extraordinary marble-top pier table with winged caryatids featured in this episode "embodies the blending of French traditions in America," further explaining that "Lannuier's activity in New York permanently changed the quality, complexity, and sculptural nature of furniture produced in America."

This episode's photo essay gives readers a close look at the ornate carving and gilding that make up the table, and the curator interview delves into the history of a young Lannuier and how he made his way in his newly adopted country. Lannuier's pier table is on view at The Met Fifth Avenue in gallery 731.

Episode 3 / 2018: The Old Actress by Max Beckmann

Born in Germany in 1884, Max Beckmann (1884–1950) came to America after spending ten years in voluntary exile in Amsterdam. When the Nazis invaded the Netherlands in 1940, he fled to America; first, to Saint Louis, and then to New York in 1949. He was only in New York for sixteen months, but he painted approximately forty paintings while he was there, which leads one to believe that he experienced a certain amount of freedom paired with a necessity to create.

The photo essay in this episode closely examines the bold brushstrokes and rich textures of Beckmann's iconic and striking The Old Actress. Described by the artist as one of his major works, the identity of the sitter remains a mystery to this day. He must have known her well, since he only portrayed people who were close to him, but Beckmann only ever referred to her as "an old actress," or "the old lady."

Sabine Rewald, Jacques and Natasha Gelman Curator of Modern Art, said Beckmann "must have been attracted to the innately expressive features of this particular woman, whose strong nose, sharp mouth, and thick black eyebrows convey toughness, resilience, and resignation." These were all feelings that Beckmann himself likely felt after leaving his home in Germany—where he enjoyed a certain notoriety as a painter—and starting over in America at the age of sixty-five.

The Old Actress is on view in gallery 901 at The Met Fifth Avenue, next to his triptych The Beginning.

MetCollects is made possible through the continued generous support of Bloomberg Philanthropies.