MetPublications

With a shared reverence for the arts of Japan, T. Richard Fishbein and his wife, Estelle P. Bender assembled an outstanding and diverse collection of paintings of the Edo period (1615–1868). The Poetry of Nature offers an in-depth look at more than forty works from their collection that together trace the development of the major schools and movements of the era—Rinpa, Nanga, Zen, Maruyama-Shijō, and Ukiyo-e—from their roots in Heian court culture and the Kano and Tosa artistic lineages that preceded them. Insightful essays by John T. Carpenter and Midori Oka reveal a unifying theme—the celebration of the natural world—expressed in varied forms, from the bold, graphic manner of Rinpa to the muted sensitivity of Nanga. Lavishly illustrated, these works draw particular focus to the unique intertwinement of poetry and the pictorial arts that is fundamental to the Japanese tradition. In addition to providing new readings and translations of Japanese and Chinese poems, The Poetry of Nature sheds new light on the ways in which Edo artists used verse to transform their paintings into a hybrid literary and visual art.

A groundbreaking survey examining the interrelationship of poetry, calligraphy, and painting in Japanese art from the eleventh to the early twentieth century

Considered the world’s first psychological novel, The Tale of Genji has captivated audiences around the globe and inspired artistic traditions for a thousand years. This picture album presents stunning works derived from the epic account of Japanese court life, welcoming the reader into a world of romance and political intrigue. The engaging text provides an overview of the visual interpretation of Genji, from twelfth-century handscrolls to contemporary manga. Accessible and handsomely illustrated, this enchanting picture album wonderfully evokes the artistic tradition inspired by a revered and celebrated work of Japanese literature.

The first of a special two-part edition of Recent Acquisitions, this Bulletin celebrates works acquired by the Museum in 2019 and 2020, many of which were gifts bestowed in honor of the Museum’s 150th anniversary year. Highlights of this volume include a sumptuous set of handscrolls depicting The Tale of Genji, a second-century Roman wellhead, a drawing of a landscape by French artist Claude Lorrain, and nearly one hundred Indian paintings. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of The Met's collection.

The second volume in a special two-part edition of Recent Acquisitions, this Bulletin celebrates works acquired by the Museum in 2019 and 2020, many of which were gifts bestowed in honor of the Museum’s 150th anniversary year. Highlights of this volume include Jean-Baptise Carpeaux’s astonishing portrayal of an African woman in the marble sculpture Why Born Enslaved!, a monumental storage jar by African American potter and poet David Drake, an exquisite lacquer mirror case depicting an 1838 meeting between the crown prince of Iran and the tsar of Russia, and Carmen Herrera’s abstract work dating to 1949, Iberic. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of The Met's collection.

Every two years the fall issue of The Met's quarterly Bulletin celebrates notable recent acquisitions and gifts to the collection. Highlights of Recent Acquisitions 2020–2022 include the Mantuan Roundel by Gian Marco Cavalli, a recently rediscovered tour de force from the early Renaissance; the archive of photographer James Van Der Zee, one of the most celebrated chroniclers of Black life in New York City during the Harlem Renaissance; a pair of sculptures by the renowned contemporary American artist Robert Gober; Thomas Sully’s magisterial portrait of Queen Victoria; and Poussin’s Agony in the Garden, one of only two accepted works by the artist in oil on copper. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of The Met collection.

Every two years the fall issue of the Met's quarterly Bulletin celebrates notable recent acquisitions and gifts to the collection. Highlights of recent acquisitions from 2014–2016 include Charles Le Brun's Everhard Jabach (1618–1695) and His Family, a donation of nearly 1,300 works of art from East and South Asia, three hundred masterpieces of Japanese Art from the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, more than two hundred works by American photographer Irving Penn, and Untitled (Studio) by Kerry James Marshall among many others. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of the Met's collection.

Every two years the fall issue of the Met's quarterly Bulletin celebrates notable recent acquisitions and gifts to the collection. Highlights of Recent Acquisitions 2016–2018 include The Battle of the Little Bighorn by Standing Bear, a Lakota artist who fought in that famous conflict as a young man; Riverbank, an exceedingly rare Chinese landscape from the tenth century; Francesco Salviati’s recently rediscovered portrait of the Florentine doctor Carlo Rimbotti;, and examples of a Qur’an and a Hebrew Bible from medieval Spain. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of the Met's collection.

Every two years the fall issue of the Met's quarterly Bulletin celebrates notable recent acquisitions and gifts to the collection. Highlights of Recent Acquisitions 2012–2014 includes the promised gifts of the Leonard A. Lauder Cubist Collection; the lavishly illustrated manuscript known as the Mishneh Torah, by celebrated medieval philosopher Moses Maimonides; paintings by turn-of-the-century Symbolists Ferdinand Hodler and Vilhelm Hammershøi; a superb viola by Jacob Stainer, whose instruments were favored by the Bach and Mozart families; and a magnificent Roman porphyry vessel that is one of the finest to survive from Classical antiquity. This publication also honors the many generous contributions from donors that make possible the continued growth of the Met's collection.