Though often pigeonholed as a Surrealist, the Catalan modernist Joan Miró considered his art to be free of any “ism.”

Artist Joan Snyder reflects on Florine Stettheimer's _Cathedrals_ paintings in this episode of The Artist Project.

Digital Editor Pac Pobric introduces a new Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History essay on the life and career of Joan Miró.

High School Intern Bianca speaks with volunteer Joan Ehrlich to learn all about the process of responding to kids' letters to The Met.

The art created in Greece during the fifth century B.C. established the standards to which all Western art has aspired well into our own times. Indeed, the word "classical," when used either specifically or figuratively, usually refers to those ideals of beauty and proportion developed on the Greek mainland more than four hundred years before the birth of Christ. Copied by the Romans, who revered the art of their Greek subjects, and "rediscovered" during the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries in what came to be known as a "renaissance" or rebirth of classical culture, the works bequeathed us by the Greeks—or in many instances by their Roman imitators—still influence the art we make and the ideals by which we judge it. Although the art of the ancient Greeks may be said to have reached its apogee in Athens in the fifth century B.C., it had, in fact, been developing for at least four thousand years. The Greeks settled and traded over a wide area, and eventually, under Alexander the Great, they moved into the Near East as conquerors. Thus they were able to assimilate and transform the art of many indigenous cultures. Once the Romans subjugated Greece, they, too, embarked on their own process of assimilation and transformation, on the one hand faithfully copying Greek art, and on the other, subtly transforming that art into one that more appropriately served first, republican taste, and later, imperial needs. Greece and Rome presents the Metropolitan Museum's collections of classical art, which range from early Cycladic pieces—dating from about 2700 B.C.—to works created in Rome at the time of the conversion to Christianity of the emperor Constantine in A.D. 312. To be sure, this picture of the classical world is only a partial one. Greek painting, for example, has been largely lost to history, and certainly many of the best Greek and Roman works reside in other museums, or, in the case of architecture, still stand throughout the Mediterranean world. Yet the collections of the Metropolitan do contain many of the finest examples of Cycladic, Cypriot, Attic, East Greek, archaic, geometric, and classical Greek art as well as of the art created by the Etruscans and in republican and imperial Rome. Among the important examples of Greek art presented in this volume are the Cycladic Harp Player, made in about 2700 B.C.; Cypriot sarcophagi from the fifth century B.C.; an Attic kouros from the sixth century B.C.; a lekythos attributed to the Amasis Painter from about 540 B.C.; the famous calyx krater by Euphronios from about 515 B.C.; Roman copies of mid-fifth-century Greek statues such as the Wounded Warrior and the Diadoumenos; and a splendid gold phiale thought to be from the fourth century B.C. Roman art is represented by examples of late republican wall painting, silver, and glass, and by portrait busts or statues of her emperors, their consort and relatives, as well as of anonymous citizens—giving us a broad picture of the styles and attitudes favored during Rome's long history. In addition to portraiture, Roman art is represented by the famous wall paintings from Boscotrecase, architectural elements from Domitian's palace, marble funerary altars and sarcophagi, and utilitarian and luxury items in terracotta, glass, gold, and silver.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York houses one of the world's largest and most comprehensive collections of antiquities and works of art. Their preservation is a responsibility that involves everyone who serves the Museum and who has access to the collection. This handbook offers a practical guide to the ways in which different art objects should be handled and cared for, whether they are on display, in transit, or in storage; and it also explains some of the fundamental principles of conservation that underlie Museum practice. The first part of the book sets out guidelines for dealing with the entire spectrum of works in the Metropolitan Museum: paintings, drawings and prints, textiles, costumes, musical instruments, and three-dimensional objects, whether monumental sculpture or filigree jewelry. In the second part the emphasis is on matters and procedures that affect the collection in general, such as climate controls, light levels, and photography. Included at the end are a selected glossary of conservation terms, a short reading list, and space for the reader's own notes. Drawing on the professional experience of curators and conservators from many different departments, The Care and Handling of Art Objects has been put together primarily for those who work in the Metropolitan Museum. What it has to say, however, will be of great interest to others—private collectors large and small, museum visitors, and concerned members of the public.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art houses one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive collections of works of art from antiquities to modern and contemporary material. Their preservation is a responsibility shared by the many individuals employed at the Museum who have direct contact with the collection on a daily basis. The Care and Handing of Art Objects—first published in the 1940s and continually updated—offers a guide to the best practices in handling and preserving works of art while on display, in storage, and in transit. It explains many of the fundamental principles of conservation that underlie these methods. One of the goals of the publication is to make the complexities of caring for a collection readily accessible by offering basic guidelines for the preservation of the diverse materials and art objects found in The Met. Each chapter of Part I addresses a different medium ranging from paintings on canvas, works on paper, and photographs to furniture, upholstery, and arms and armor. The sections provides an overview of the particular environmental, handling, and housing factors needed to prevent damage and ensure preservation of each material. Written by experts in the respective specialty, the text summarizes the field's most critical preservation issues, many of which are amplified by photographs. Part II succinctly describes factors that affect the collection as a whole. Among these concerns the book features current environmental standards for temperature, relative humidity, light exposure, storage, and art in transit. The text also addresses integrated pest management and emergency preparedness and response. Charts on storage and display conditions as well as factors contributing to deterioration provide an easy reference for readers. A glossary of conservation terms, principles, and housing materials helps to guide for those unfamiliar with the field. The Care and Handing of Art Objects draws on the knowledge of conservators, scientists, and curators from many different departments, along with that technicians and engineers whose expertise crosses boundaries of culture, chronology, medium, and condition. It is an invaluable resource for students, collectors, small museums, museum study programs, art dealers, and members of the public who want to enhance their understanding of how works of art are safeguarded and the role environment, handling, and materials play in making this possible.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History, originally launched in 2000, presents the Met's collection via a chronological, geographical, and thematic exploration of global art history. Targeted at students and scholars of art history, it is an invaluable reference, research, and teaching tool. Authored by The Met's experts—curators, conservators, scientists, and educators—the Timeline comprises 300 timelines, more than 1,000 essays, more than 7,000 objects, and is regularly updated and enriched to provide new scholarship and insights on the collection.

Arte del Mar explores the diverse, interconnected history of the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, where the sea was a vital source of cultural exchange. Before the arrival of Europeans, Caribbean societies formed a vast, multilingual network characterized by complex relationships among neighbors and distant contacts alike. Colonization and the subsequent forced mass migration of enslaved peoples from Africa later contributed to the heterogeneous culture of the region. Providing the first holistic look at Caribbean art, this Bulletin features masterworks from the early first millennium to the present, including works by celebrated Taíno artists from the Greater Antilles, as well as fascinating objects from lesser-known societies such as the Tairona from Colombia; the diverse kingdoms in Veraguas, Panama; and the communities in the Ulúa Valley, Honduras. A brief exploration of more contemporary artistic practice yields further insight into this unique ancestral legacy. Whether ancient or modern, the artworks presented here share a formal grammar linking politics, mythology, and ritual performance, revealing a distinctly Caribbean approach to creativity.

2015

"This work reinforced the way that I saw the world."

The Artist Project is an online series in which we give artists an opportunity to respond to our encyclopedic collection.