SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2004

SCHEDULE OF EXHIBITIONS SEPTEMBER–DECEMBER 2004 New Exhibitions
Upcoming Exhibitions
Continuing Exhibitions
New and Recently Opened Installations
Traveling Exhibitions
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SPECIAL NOTE

 China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200–750 AD, one of the largest exhibitions ever to come out of that country, tells the story of Chinese art and culture from the Han into the Tang dynasty.
 Gilbert Stuart, a retrospective of one of the most successful and resourceful portraitists of the new American nation, includes his celebrated portraits of George Washington.

NEW EXHIBITIONS

China: Dawn of a Golden Age, 200–750 AD
October 12, 2004–January 23, 2005
Chinese civilization underwent a major transformation during the period spanning the turn of the 3rd century (Late Han dynasty) to the mid-8th century (High Tang dynasty) as a result of massive immigration of people from Northern Asia into China and extensive trade contacts with all parts of Asia. This landmark exhibition tells the story of Chinese art and culture in this formative period, focusing especially on East–West cross-cultural interchange.
This extraordinary exhibition, comprising some 300 objects, is one of the largest exhibitions ever to come out of China. While the majority of objects are Chinese works of art, an important feature of the exhibition is the inclusion of gold artifacts of the nomadic peoples from Mongolia who occupied North China after the collapse of the Han dynasty, and luxury articles of glass and precious metals imported from Western and Central Asia during the 4th to 6th century. All of these objects have been excavated in recent years, and very few of them have been shown outside China. Another important component of the exhibition is the display of works of art associated with the early spread of Buddhism in China, including some of the most famous early Chinese Buddhist sculptures. The final section of the exhibition consists of a spectacular assemblage of works of art of the Tang period in every medium, interpreted as the culmination of several centuries of cultural exchange and adaptation resulting from mass migrations and long-distance international trade.
The exhibition and its accompanying catalogue are made possible by The Starr Foundation.
Additional support for education programs has been provided by The Freeman Foundation.
Support for the catalogue has also been provided by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Press preview: Monday, October 4, 10:00 a.m.–noon

Romare Bearden at the Met
October 19, 2004–March 6, 2005
Exhibited on the occasion of a citywide celebration of the life and work of American artist Romare Bearden (1911–1988), this special installation highlights the artist's creative versatility in a variety of media. Displayed are his famous six-part collage of Harlem street life, titled The Block (1971), his colorful tapestry Recollection Pond (1976), shown for the first time at the Museum with preliminary studies, and other works on paper.

Heritage of Power: Ancient Sculpture from West Mexico.
The Andrall E. Pearson Family Collection
October 19, 2004–April 3, 2005
Created to acknowledge many of life's important events, the ceramic sculpture of the western region of Mexico 2,000 years ago is noted for its variety, spontaneity, and the overwhelming presence of the human image. Heroes, houses, and ancestor pairs are rendered in three dimensions to give visual substance to prominent members of society and their significant activities on behalf of community and family, as well as to honor their forebears. Placed in major tombs, the sculptures commemorate the high social position, personal power, and wealth of the deceased. The 40 works of ceramic that are on display come from the three major West Mexican regions—Colima, Jalisco, and Nayarit—and represent the primary style groups of Comala, Ameca-Ezatlán, and Ixtlán del Rio. The sculptures date between 300 B.C. and A.D. 400 and include depictions of birds and animals.
Accompanied by a catalogue.
Press preview: Monday, October 18, 10:00 a.m.–noon

Gilbert Stuart
October 21, 2004–January 16, 2005
The most successful and resourceful portraitist of America's early national period, Gilbert Stuart (1755–1828) possessed enormous natural talent, which he devoted to the representation of human likeness and character. This retrospective exhibition highlights his achievement by displaying a carefully selected group of portraits of exceptional quality, ranging in date from the early works he produced in Newport, Rhode Island, to those executed at the end of his brilliant career in Boston. There is a special section devoted to Stuart's celebrated portraits of George Washington.
The exhibition is made possible by The Henry Luce Foundation and The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation.
The catalogue is made possible by The Henry Luce Foundation.
Additional support for the catalogue has been provided by the William Cullen Bryant Fellows. The exhibition has been organized by The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution.
Press preview: Monday, October 18, 10:00 a.m.–noon

George Washington: Man, Myth, Monument.
Images from the Metropolitan
October 19, 2004–February 27, 2005
A complement to the Gilbert Stuart exhibition described above, this is a selection of paintings, drawings, sculpture, and decorative arts depicting George Washington. The display includes works created in his lifetime, recording his image as Revolutionary War hero and president, as well as those made later for patriotic and nostalgic purposes. The works are all drawn from the collections of the Metropolitan Museum.
Press preview: Monday, October 18, 10:00 a.m.–noon

Princely Splendor: The Dresden Court, 1580–1620
October 26, 2004–January 30, 2005
Featuring nearly 250 major works of art from the Dresden State Art Collections (Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden), and especially the Green Vault, this exhibition illustrates the richness of one of the most spectacular princely collections of Europe—the Dresden Kunstkammer—around 1600. During this period of unusual economic prosperity, the Electors of Saxony amassed exotic materials and precious stones mounted with gold and silver, ivory turnings, ebony furniture, clocks and automatons, arms and armor, and bronze sculpture by major European artists.
The exhibition is made possible by Marie-Josée and Henry Kravis and the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Foundation.
Additional support has been provided by ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius, Hamburg, Germany and the Laurence Levine Charitable Fund.
The exhibition is organized by the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden.
An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities. Accompanied by a catalogue.
Press preview: Monday, October 25, 10:00 a.m.–noon

Few Are Chosen: Street Photography and the Book, 1936–1966
November 5, 2004–March 6, 2005
The years from the Great Depression to the late 1960s were the golden age of the photographically illustrated book, in which artists such as Bill Brandt, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Helen Levitt presented ambitious, artfully sequenced surveys of their work in monographic form. Drawn from the collections of the Metropolitan and the Gilman Paper Company, this exhibition of approximately 35 prints comprises suites of photographs from six milestones in the history of photography, from Walker Evans's Many Are Called —featuring his legendary hidden-camera portraits of subway passengers—to Robert Frank's beat-era classic The Americans with an introduction by Jack Kerouac. The exhibition also includes copies of each book, sometimes represented in multiple editions to show how the meaning of images changed with their presentation.

Klee: His Years at the Bauhaus (1921–1931)
November 12, 2004–February 20, 2005
An installation of some 30 works that Klee created during the 10 years he taught at the Bauhaus, first in Weimar (1921–25) and then in Dessau (1925–31). Differing widely in style, these range from experiments with color gradations to works of whimsical humor.

William Kentridge
November 19, 2004–February 27, 2005
William Kentridge, a native of Johannesburg (b. 1955), is an internationally acclaimed artist whose multimedia works present an arresting and forceful commentary on the contemporary cultural and sociopolitical issues in South Africa. Inspired by music, opera, literature, and banal or troubling everyday events, the artist creates highly personal and often haunting works in a variety of media. These include drawing, collage, etching, lithography, sculpture, stage and costume design, and innovative animated film based on bold, crudely executed charcoal drawings. The selection presented, dating from 1989 to 2001, is drawn from the Museum's collection.

Annual Christmas Tree and Neapolitan Baroque Crèche
November 23, 2004–January 6, 2005
The Museum continues a long-standing holiday tradition with the annual presentation of its Christmas tree, a favorite of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world. A vivid 18th-century Neapolitan crèche scene—embellished with a profuse array of diminutive, lifelike attendant figures and silk-robed angels hovering above—adorns the candlelit spruce. Recorded music adds to the enjoyment of the holiday display. Lighting ceremony Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:00.
The exhibit of the crèche is made possible by gifts to The Christmas Tree Fund
and the Loretta Hines Howard Fund.

WILD: Fashion Untamed
December 7, 2004–March 13, 2005
WILD: Fashion Untamed presents an extensive exploration of man's ongoing obsession with animalism as expressed through clothing. Since prehistoric times, fur and feathers have been used not only for warmth and protection, but also for display and adornment, an expression of sexual and economic exhibitionism. Focusing on contemporary constructions of the fur-clad "Bourgeois Woman," WILD also explores her moral counterpart—the anti-fur-wearing "Ethical Woman"—as represented in the advertising campaigns of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Pelts and plumes have come to define other ideals of femininity by quoting the physical and sexual characteristics of birds and beasts. Examples on view include Alexander McQueen's "Amazon" dresses, Azzedine Alaïa's "Tigress" bodysuits, and Thierry Mugler's "Black Widow" architectonic constructions. The exhibition also features fantastic feathered costumes of Las Vegas showgirls and coquettish "Birds of Paradise" creations by milliners Philip Treacy and Stephen Jones.
The exhibition is made possible by Roberto Cavalli.
Additional support has been provided by John and Laura Pomerantz.
Accompanied by a catalogue.
Press preview: Monday, December 6, 10:00 a.m.–noon

The Armored Horse in Europe, ca. 1475 to 1625
December 14, 2004–January 15, 2006
The horse was an integral part of medieval and Renaissance culture, not only as a beast of burden but also as a sign of rank and status. For the nobility, equitation was an essential skill, both socially and militarily. Horses played a pivotal role in warfare and often wore armor as elaborate and expensive as that of their riders. Drawing exclusively from items in the reserve collection, many of them unpublished and rarely seen before, this exhibition examines various types of European horse armor in terms of style, construction, and decoration, from the peak period of its use in the late 15th century through its eventual obsolescence in the early 17th century.
Accompanied by a catalogue.

UPCOMING EXHIBITIONS

Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640): The Drawings
January 15–April 3, 2005
Uniting 115 of the finest and most representative Rubens drawings, including many loans from European collections, this is the first major retrospective devoted to the drawings of the great Flemish artist. Most of the works will consist of preliminary drawings in black and red chalk, heightened in white, and often of exceptionally large size. Also on view will be several of Rubens's early compositional drawings in pen and brown ink, with much wash freely added to give depth or to enhance the modeling of the figures. In addition, the exhibition will include delightful renderings of children, elegant portraits of noblemen and women, animal studies, landscapes, examples of the artist's early copies after antique sculpture, anatomical studies, and several sheets by earlier artists that Rubens retouched, restored, or reworked.
The exhibition catalogue is made possible by The Drue E. Heinz Fund.
An indemnity has been granted by the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Press preview: Friday, January 14, 10:00 a.m.–noon

From Filippo Lippi to Piero della Francesca:
Fra Carnevale and the Making of a Renaissance Master
February 1–May 1, 2005
Trained in Florence under Fra Filippo Lippi and active at Urbino, where he met both Piero della Francesca and the humanist-architect Leon Battista Alberti, Fra Carnevale was the author of some of the most intriguing pictures of the 15th century. This exhibition will bring together approximately 60 works—paintings, drawings, and sculpture—by him and his contemporaries, including examples by Fra Filippo Lippi, Piero della Francesca, Domenico Veneziano, and Luca Della Robbia.
Accompanied by a publication.

Diane Arbus Revelations
March 8–May 30, 2005
Diane Arbus (1923–1971) was one of the most original and influential American artists of the 20th century. This retrospective exhibition, the first in more than 30 years, will present the artist's signature images—such as Child with a toy hand grenade in Central Park, N.Y.C., 1962 and A Jewish giant at home with his parents in the Bronx, N.Y., 1970 —as well as previously unpublished photographs and writings drawn from the artist's archive. The show traces the artist's full achievement from her early experiments with the camera in the 1940s to her mature portraiture of the 1960s.
The exhibition in New York is made possible by The John and Annamaria Phillips Foundation. The exhibition was organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.
Additional support for the international tour was provided by the Evelyn D. Haas Exhibition Fund and Charles Schwab & Co., Inc.
Accompanied by a publication.

Cameo Appearances
March 8–October 31, 2005
Spurred by the recent acquisition of a superb jasper carving of the head of Medusa by Benedetto Pistrucci, this exhibition will examine the art of hardstone carving. It will trace cameo carving from Greco-Roman antiquity to the Renaissance; illuminate differences, such as those between cameos and intaglios; touch upon the making of cameo glass; and highlight the Metropolitan's splendid holdings of neoclassical Italian cameos by first-rate carvers such as Pistrucci, Girometti, and Saulini.

The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt
March 15–July 17, 2005
The causes of illnesses were little understood in ancient Egypt, and their prevention and cure was a major concern for most Egyptians—one that informs much of ancient Egyptian art, yet has been given relatively little attention. This exhibition will highlight objects from the Museum's collection that address this concern, allowing visitors to appreciate them in new ways. Included will be the rarely seen Edwin Smith Papyrus, on loan from the New York Academy of Medicine. One of the world's oldest scientific documents, this 15-foot surgical papyrus deals with the treatment of wounds both practically and magically and will serve to link the other objects in the exhibition.
Accompanied by a publication.

Defining Yongle: Imperial Art in Early-Fifteenth-Century China
April 1–July 10, 2005
The Yongle emperor (r. 1403–1425) was the most powerful, effective, and extravagant ruler of the Ming dynasty (1368–1644). His reign was punctuated by vigorous military campaigns and unprecedented maritime expeditions. A son of the founding emperor of the Ming dynasty, he seized the throne from his nephew and moved the capital from Nanjing to Beijing. Yongle's strong faith in Tibetan Buddhism, and the means of production at his disposal, determined both the repertory and the style of the superb sculptures, lacquers, metalwork, ceramics, textiles, and ivories produced in the imperial workshops during his reign. This exhibition, featuring selections from the Metropolitan Museum's permanent collection and important loans, will define a crucial moment in the development of imperial Chinese art and its relationship to later decorative art traditions.
Accompanied by a publication.

Max Ernst: A Retrospective
April 7–July 10, 2005
This will be the first retrospective exhibition of the work of the French artist Max Ernst (b. Germany, 1891–1976) to be shown in New York in some 30 years. A founding member of the Surrealist group in Paris, Ernst was one of the most inventive artists of the 20th century. His paintings, steeped in Freudian metaphors, private mythology, and childhood memories, are regarded today as icons of Surrealist art. Comprising some 200 works, the exhibition will include his most important paintings, his celebrated collages, drawings, sculptures, and illustrated books lent by private and public collections in Europe and the United States. The exhibition is made possible by Denise and Andrew Saul.
Additional support is provided by Jane and Robert Carroll.
The exhibition catalogue is made possible by the Doris Duke Fund for Publications and the Mary and Louis S. Myers Foundation.

The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden
Late April–October 30, 2005 (weather permitting)
An installation in the most dramatic outdoor space for sculpture in New York City: The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden, which offers a spectacular view of Central Park and the New York City skyline. Beverage and sandwich service will be available from 10:00 a.m. until closing, including Friday and Saturday evenings.

Costume Institute Exhibition
To Be Announced
May 5–August 7, 2005
John Townsend: Newport Cabinetmaker
May 6–September 25, 2005
In the second half of the 18th century, the New England seaport of Newport, Rhode Island, was a leading center of the cabinetmaking business, with members of the Townsend and Goddard families dominating the trade. Chief among them was John Townsend (1732–1809), one of colonial America's preeminent craftsmen and one of the few 18th-century cabinetmakers to sign and date his work. Some 45 pieces of furniture, half signed and half firmly attributable to him, will form the core of this exhibition and illustrate this cabinetmaker's unsurpassed refinement of design and precision of craftsmanship. On view will be his early work in the baroque style—tables with claw-and-ball feet, case pieces with block-and-shell carved fronts—as well as later examples, with straight legs and incised or inlaid decoration, in the neoclassical or Federal style. Examples of furniture by some of Townsend's peers, including John Goddard, will set his work in context.
The exhibition is made possible by The Chilton Foundation and the Americana Foundation. Additional support is provided by Stanley and Judith Zabar, and Philip Holzer.
Additional support is also provided by the William Cullen Bryant Fellows.
Accompanied by a publication.

Adorning the World: Art of the Marquesas Islands
May 10, 2005–January 16, 2006
Renowned as the final refuge of Paul Gauguin, the Marquesas Islands northeast of Tahiti were home to one of the Pacific's most accomplished traditions of sculpture and decorative art. Created to honor the archipelago's gods and ancestors, adorn the bodies of its people, and ornament the objects they used, art in the Marquesas encompassed virtually every aspect of sacred and secular life. From everyday items to the sacred images of gods and ancestors, Marquesan artists richly embellished nearly every type of object they used. The finest Marquesan works date from the late 18th to the late 19th century. Celebrated for its elegant stylization of the human image and intricately decorated surfaces, Marquesan art encompassed an astonishing diversity of forms, from works in wood and stone to the most elaborate tattooing in the Pacific. Featuring works from the Metropolitan and other museums and private collections, the exhibition will explore how art captured and enhanced the central themes of secular and religious life.
Accompanied by a publication.

All the Mighty World: The Photographs of Roger Fenton, 1852–1860
May 24–August 21, 2005
Roger Fenton (1819–1869) was the most celebrated and influential photographer in England during the "golden age" of the medium in the 1850s. This major loan exhibition will unite 90 of Fenton's finest works from American and European collections, representing his achievement in every genre: romantic landscapes, intimate portraits of the royal family, stunning architectural views of England's ruined abbeys and castles, moving reportage of the Crimean War, enchanting orientalist tableaux, and lush still lifes. Following its appearance at the Metropolitan Museum, the exhibition will travel to Tate Britain, London.
The exhibition is made possible by The Hite Foundation.
The exhibition catalogue is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The exhibition was organized by the National Gallery of Art, Washington; The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Matisse, His Art and His Textiles: The Fabric of Dreams
June 23–September 25, 2005
The impact of Henri Matisse's lifelong interest in textiles will be shown in a selection of approximately 45 paintings, drawings, prints, and painted paper cutouts. Also exhibited will be examples from the artist's personal collection of textiles, many of which have been packed away in family trunks since Matisse's death in 1954. Of particular interest are Matisse's canvases inspired by a fragment of cotton toile de Jouy that the artist purchased from a secondhand shop in Paris, works from the 1910s and 1920s demonstrating the influence of North African fabrics and screens, paintings featuring Rumanian blouses and couture gowns, and Matisse's late paper cutouts, some of which are indebted to Kuba fabrics from Zaire. The exhibition will conclude with vestments that Matisse designed for the chapel of St.-Paul-de-Vence.
Accompanied by a publication.

CONTINUING EXHIBITIONS

CLOSING SOON

Ruhlmann: Genius of Art Deco
Through September 5, 2004
Echoing Images: Couples in African Sculpture
Through September 5, 2004
American Impressions, 1865–1925: Prints, Drawings, and Watercolors from the Collection
Through September 5, 2004
Dangerous Liaisons: Fashion and Furniture in the 18th Century
Extended through September 6, 2004
Childe Hassam, American Impressionist
Through September 12, 2004
August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century. A Photographic Portrait of Germany
Through September 19, 2004
Indexing the World
Through October 17, 2004<
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