Art Explained

Throughout 2013, The Met invited curators from across the Museum to each talk about one artwork that changed the way they see the world.

Join exhibition curator Medill Higgins Harvey, special guests, curators Deniz Beyazit and Monika Bincsik, on a tour of the exhibition Collecting Inspiration: Edward C. Moore at Tiffany & Co

Sky with puffy blue and white clouds. A light blue sky peeks through the top right corner of the image.

Immaterial: Space, Part 1

Giving form to a feeling.
close up of painting of elephants face adorned with jewelry

Elephant Soul, Indian Brush

Take a closer look at the Asian elephant through the eyes of Indian court painters
A woman in a multicolored dress is seated on a yellow couch, her back to the viewer. In the background at right is a black and white portrait of a mother holding a baby. The room is characterized by whimsical and geometric designs, including portraits as part of the wallpaper.

How to Read Portraits

Kathryn Calley Galitz takes a deep dive into
portraiture from Ancient Roman coins to Instagram selfies.
Detail of Adam's face.

Immaterial: Stone

Making and breaking legacies.
White "Immaterial" logo text superimposed on a close-up of colorful feathers.

Introducing: Immaterial Season 2

Revealing the stories behind the building blocks of creativity.

The Disrobing of Draupadi

Technical examination uncovers the creative process of a work attributed to the Indian painter Nainsukh.

Go behind the scenes with artist Petrit Halilaj, who discusses with curator Iria Candela the inspiration and making of his 2024 Roof Garden Commission: Abetare.

collage of a harlem block with two buildings. A jazz band plays and children also play on the street.

The Sounds of The Block

How does the rediscovery of an audio component for Romare Bearden’s monumental collage transform our understanding of it?
A man with a cartoonish face is laden with objects, with a critical poem written beneath him.

A Brief History of Comic Valentines

They're not always love notes. Explore the history of the penny dreadful.
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