About the Collection
You visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art when limited time or money preclude you from traveling abroad but you still need a taste of the culture and history of a faraway land. Almost everywhere on the globe is represented, but it is Europe--particularly the lavishness of courtly Western Europe--that is most thoroughly and accurately recreated in the Decorative Art galleries. The period rooms capture the best of the palaces, castles, museums, and courtyards of Europe, complete with works by the greatest sculptors of Europe. Over 50,000 objects in the collection are pared down to the most lavish, most artistic and most representative of European aristocracy prior to the twentieth century.
What You Will See
If it is beautiful (or excessive), European, and not a painting you will find it somewhere among the dozens of galleries in this department. The statues and sculptures, particularly those in the sun-drenched Sculpture Court, are the immediate artistic draw. But exploration and willingness to get lost reveal aristocratic excess and artistic luxury that the egalitarian American Wing could never match: Faberge eggs, ivory snuff boxes, jeweled mirrors, silver tableware, silken tapestries and extravagant furniture. The period rooms bring the beauty of Versaille, Schonbrunn, and Windsor to Manhattan. France dominates the collection, but Italy, Spain and Great Britain contribute their unique passions, and the countries of Central and Eastern Europe have representative works.
Why You Should Go
This gallery is the heart and crossroads of the museum: the end of the royal line begun in the Greek and Egyptian galleries, the source of rebellion and revolution that led to the American Wing, the precursor to the Modern galleries, the heir to the Medieval, Arms and Armour and Musical Instruments, and best contrast to the luxury of Asian and Islamic art. Outside of a few iconic sculptures, there are few must-see pieces. Instead, this is a gallery of curation and discovery, the collections of objects that may not qualify as traditional ‘art’ but are still celebrated and coveted for their craftsmanship, luxury, and beauty. Transport yourself to the greatest of Europe and find your favorite ivory snuff box.
