Ruth Chaney (American, 1908–1973). The Writer (detail), published by WPA, 1935–43. Serigraph, 9 1/2 x 13 1/4 in. (24.1 x 33.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of the Work Projects Administration, New York, 1943 (43.33.1179)
Art has the power to connect, to heal, and to build communities. While The Met has temporarily closed its doors to fight the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we remain committed to our mission to inspire knowledge, creativity, and ideas, even while our visitors are hunkering down at home.
In this digital digest, we're bringing you a selection of The Met's many videos, articles, and online resources. In the programs we're sharing today, you'll learn about contemporary painters like Gerhard Richter and medieval jousting practices. You'll discover art-making activities for the whole family and watch concerts by musicians from around the world. And you'll find everything from cutting-edge 360-degree videos to downloadable catalogues from past exhibitions. (Check out our editors' picks for ten free books to read right now!)
Don't worry if it seems there's a lot to discover! Over the next few weeks, we'll continue to share the art that enriches our lives and that can serve as a resource for educators. So check out the digest below and get ready to experience, learn, and be inspired—and to connect with art wherever you are.
While we're closed, you can follow the Museum using the hashtag #MetAnywhere, or sign up for newsletters at the bottom of this page.
There's so much to explore on metmuseum.org, but we also encourage you to check us out on the following platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, and Daily Motion. Educators will want to follow us on Flipgrid and Khan Academy, and you can see our collection alongside other works of art on Google Arts and Culture.
Learn
Primers
Gerhard Richter Painting (still), 2011, directed by Corinna Belz. Footage courtesy Kino Lorber, Inc.
Only got a couple minutes? We've got you covered: the Primer gives you a handle on key themes and helps you get truly immersed in select exhibitions and installations at The Met.
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The Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
By pairing essays and works of art with detailed chronologies, the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History tells the story of art and global culture through the Museum's collection. With hundreds of essays on a vast array of diverse topics, the Timeline has been a trusted resource for educators for twenty years.
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Enter the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
#MetKids
#MetKids is made for, with, and by kids. With fun facts and creative projects for families at home, #MetKids is a great addition to your home learning toolkit. #MetKids has been inspired, tested, and approved by real kids ages 7 through 12. Check out these awesome videos, blogs, and more!
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Blogs
Dig into our blogs, which explore exhibitions, events, and behind-the-scenes stories, and share new perspectives on works in The Met collection. New articles by staff throughout the Museum are published regularly.
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Audio Guides
Every work of art has stories to tell. Through dozens of tours, you can hear perspectives from curators, conservators, and other experts, who bring those stories to life, for free online. Our highlights tour is also available in ten languages.
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Listen to more Audio Guides on SoundCloud
Publications
Edouard Manet (French, 1832–1883). Boating (detail), 1874. Oil on canvas, 38 1/4 x 51 1/4 in. (97.2 x 130.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929 (29.100.115)
MetPublications is a portal to The Met's comprehensive publishing program. With more than 1,500 titles from the last five decades (including books, online publications, journals, and more), the full contents of our out-of-print collections can be read, searched, or downloaded as PDFs. We put together a list of ten free books to get you started!
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Conservation
Go behind-the-scenes at The Met's conservation studios. This series of in-depth videos follows conservators as they restore art through crucial and often-unseen work.
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Watch more conservation stories on YouTube
Explore
360° Videos
Take a virtual tour of The Met's art and architecture from the comfort of your own home with The Met 360° Project. These immersive, 360° videos will allow you to explore some of the Museum's iconic spaces as never before.
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The Met Collection
Giovanni Paolo Panini (Italian, 1691–1765). Modern Rome (detail), 1757. Oil on canvas, 67 3/4 x 91 3/4 in. (172.1 x 233 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Purchase Gwynne Andrews Fund, 1952 (52.63.2)
The Met collection includes more than 470,000 objects that represent more than 5,000 years of art from across the globe. You can search The Met collection, or dive deep on highlights selected by our curators. Thousands of these works of art are Open Access, which means you can use them for any purpose, including to make art of your own!
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From the Vaults
Metropolitan Cats (still), 1983
Every week throughout 2020, we are releasing a new film from the Museum's extensive moving-image archive, which comprises over 1,500 films, both made and collected by the Museum, from the 1920s onward. This includes rarely seen artist profiles and documentaries, as well as process films about art-making techniques and behind-the-scenes footage of the Museum.
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- Metropolitan Cats (1983)
Discover more on From the Vaults
MetCollects
Master of Claude de France. Book of Flower Studies (detail), ca. 1510–1515. Opaque watercolor, organic glazes, gold and silver paint, iron and carbon-based ink and charcoal on parchment, 6 7/16 x 4 1/4 x 1 1/4 in. (16.4 x 10.8 x 3.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Purchase, The Cloisters Collection, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift, and Rogers Fund, 2019 (2019.197)
MetCollects celebrates works of art new to the collection by borrowing the fresh eyes of photographers and the enthusiastic voices of curators, conservators, and at times, living artists, collectors, and supporters.
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Inspire
The Artist Project
The Artist Project asks artists to reflect on what art is and what inspires them from across 5,000 years of art. Watch as they provide unique perspective as they ponder a single artwork from The Met collection. And with six seasons, there's plenty to binge watch!
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View more from The Artist Project
Met Stories
Part of The Met's 150th anniversary celebrations, Met Stories is a new video series that shares unexpected and compelling stories gathered from the many people who visit The Met, whether they're artists, teachers, curators, actors, museum staff, designers, thought-leaders, or public figures. While you're at it, tell us: What's your Met story?
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82nd & Fifth
82nd & Fifth is The Met's address in New York City. It is also the intersection of art and ideas. We invited one hundred curators from across the Museum to talk about one hundred works of art that changed the way they see the world, and eleven Museum photographers to interpret their vision: one work, one curator, two minutes at a time.
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Connections
Connections invites The Met's diverse staff to offer their personal perspectives on works of art in the Museum's vast collection. Themes range from serious to quirky, reflecting the many voices across the institution.
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Lectures, Talks, and Performances
Hours of lectures, talks, and performances held at The Met are all available for viewing in our digital archives. Here, you will discover in-depth discussions from curators, scholars, practicing artists, and more about a wide range of art and art-historical topics, as well as performing arts held at The Met's Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. Don't forget to check out our recordings of many of The Met's musical instruments!
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