Forty-two of the works recently acquired by the Department of European Paintings. Image courtesy of the author
«One of the reasons for coming back again, and again, and again to The Met is that the collection is constantly changing. By that, I don't mean that the pictures change their positions within their respective galleries, though that happens as well. No—I mean that new works are constantly being added. The image above shows 42 of the 56 paintings that the Museum has added to the collection over the last five years. Yes, I said 56! How many do you recognize? (Please note that they are not reproduced here to scale.)»
A number of these were given to The Met. Many were purchased with funds established by donors. Some—for example, the great portrait of Everhard Jabach and his family painted by Charles Le Brun—are landmarks in the history of art. Others, such as Ferdinand Hodler's The Dream of the Shepherd (Der Traum des Hirten), signal a new departure for the collection—in this case, our desire to expand the representation of 19th-century painting beyond the borders of France. All of them help us tell a richer, more nuanced, and—we hope—more fascinating story about the art and artists of the great European tradition.
A selection of nine recent acquisitions are now on view in gallery 624 as part of the new exhibition European Paintings: Recent Acquisitions 2015–16. Over the coming months, curators from my department will share the stories behind these works.
Related Links
European Paintings: Recent Acquisitions 2015–16, on view at The Met Fifth Avenue through March 27, 2017
Now at The Met: "Ready for a Close-Up: Fernand Khnopff's Hortensia" (September 28, 2015)
Now at The Met: View a series of blog posts related to the acquisition of Charles Le Brun's portrait of Everhard Jabach and his family.