My Art Museum Experience

Never before have I seen a museum as grand as the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. From its architecture to its massive art collection, The Met has a little bit of everything and one is sure to find something that captures his or her interest. Considering that The Met is the United States' largest art museum, it is easy to get lost within its many corridors and wings. My visit to The Met took place during the last week of July. Despite the almost unbearable heat and humidity that hung in the air, visiting museums under these climate conditions is a welcome respite from a suffocating, yet bright summer afternoon.

Interestingly, my first visit to the Museum was almost accidental. When I was a freshman, my mother was taking an art class at the College of Staten Island which required a class trip to the Metropolitan Museum, and my brother and I both agreed to accompany her. I will never forget the moment that I first laid eyes on the Metropolitan Museum. Although it was a dark, cold winter night, the shimmering lights made the building most inviting. As we crossed the threshold, I was struck by

The first piece of art work that I saw was the work of Frederick William MacMonnies (1863-1937) I felt it captured my attention as I first walked into the room. The unique sculpture “DIANA” really impressed me by depicting a Roman Goddess poised with her bow raised high and ready for the hunt. It was also interesting because the women of that time period were not known as hunters, they were known for being mothers and wives. The piece of art work was medium in sitting on top of a pedestal as you walked into the main exhibit room. There was lots of background information on the poster written below this artwork. It told a story of how MacMonnies and his contemporaries got their inspiration in ancient Greek and Roman culture, and it also took some of the Italian Renaissance into account when making the piece.

It was my first time going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Visiting the Met was a visit forced onto me by the class, nonetheless it was a visit I would eventually take as I had always wanted to go to the Met. I went with a friend that had already visited the museum, but went a couple years ago. I was intent on seeing only three periods, and they were Greek and Roman, Renaissance and Baroque art. With my intent on doing Baroque art, I did not want to spend a lot of time in the other periods, but my friend was eager to see everything. Hence, I ended up seeing more, because there were so much art and so many exhibits. The museum was bigger than I expected and I expected a pretty large space. Since I went on a weekend and it was a tremendously beautiful day, the museum was crowded. I think I spent about two hours at the museum and then was exhausted from all the art I saw. It was a pretty memorable experience.

Among the many artworks I have seen, I decided to discuss about the “Sarcophagus Depicting a Battle between Soldiers and Amazons (Warrior Women)” from the Roman civilization. It was built sometime in between 140 A.D. to 170 A.D and is approximately forty and a half inches in length, ninety-one and a half inches in width, and fifty and a half inches tall in height (“Roman Sarcophagus”). This masterpiece appealed to me because of the unique approach that has been designed to honor the deceased. Many people are familiar with the formatting and inscriptions of a gravestone because it is usually engraved with an individual’s full name, birth date, and death date. During the Roman Empire, a sarcophagus, which is a coffin, was widely used to show decorative themes that includes: battle scenes, hunting scenes, weddings, or other memorable episodes from the life of the deceased individual. The most luxurious ones were made from marble surrounded by symbolic sculptures, figures and inscriptions on all four sides (“Sarcophagus”). Another feature that captured my attention was the large quantity of details used to bring out a lifelike aspect of the deceased individual’s favorable moments in their life. In this artwork, this sarcophagus was dedicated to a Roman commander. The exterior of the sarcophagus has been well-decorated and carved with exquisite details depicting a battle scene

It makes sense to approach a museum the way a seasoned traveler approaches visiting a city for the first time. Find out what there is available to see. In the museum, find out what sort of exhibitions are currently housed in the museum and start with the exhibits that interest you.

I wanted to hear more about the story of the family, Judge, and Mrs. E. B. Crocker and how and why they were so generous with their artwork. We first started in the new part of the house, where the modern art is displayed, and then we proceeded to go to the older part, which is inside two old houses, so I loved seeing all the old architecture and walking through all the rooms imagine what it was like when people lived there. My favorite part of this whole visit was when, I was trying to find out how the museum acquired all this artwork and

when I first entered the museum, it felt very dark and it smelled of wood. It gave me the feeling of being at the house when it was up and running. What I noticed about the way the paintings were displayed was that in each hallway, one painting in every room would appear right in front of you, which also portrays the value of each of those paintings because

I spent time at three different museums for my service hours, the Bangor Discovery Museum, the College of the Atlantic Dorr Museum and the Woodlawn Gardens Museum. At each I went to a different event and each had their the similarities and differences to each other. I facilitated an event at both the College of the Atlantic Dorr Museum and the Bangor Discovery Museum, which is why I believe there are the most similarities between these two, they were completely different activities, but with the same goal: kids have fun and learn.

Next, each room of art were unique. When I get into each room, some things that surprise me that each room was very exclusive, original and uncommon. Also, the rooms were very enlightened and I personally felt that each room had something for everyone in the family. Another thing that I noted of the museum was the accessibility of each floor, so anybody can go and have a great time without

My experience to the Dallas Museum of Art was a bit different from the last time I had attended the museum. I was curious to see what pieces of art there would be and if it would be the same as the previous visit which was long ago, but to me all the pieces of art were so different and very interesting. It may have been because I saw all the pieces in a new perspective since learning about the different types of paintings there can be and knowing how and where sculptures come from. Even though I do not know much of art I really gave it a try into seeing what the artist may have wanted us to get out of his work. By reading a view of the chapters made me aware of art, I wouldn’t call myself an expert, but it was actually nice knowing that a

Jan van Eyck was active since 1422 and died in 1441. He was the most celebrated painter of the fifteen-century in Europe. One of his famous works is “The Last Judgment”. At first sight this work immediately attracted my attention. The painting’s stunning colors and the fact that it reminded me of a previous similar work I have seen, triggered in my mind. The material that is used is oil on canvas, transferred from wood. The size of this work is 22 1/4 *7 2/3 in. (56.5 * 19.7cm).

The first thing I noticed at the Huntington Museum of Art was how quiet and empty it was. This was not displeasing however--quite the opposite in fact. The atmosphere was perfect for contemplation and thought, which is exactly what I want in a museum. I was still surprised of course; my visit to the Art Institute of Chicago had been very different. Unlike in Huntington, Chicago’s museum was packed to the brim, and the people within it practically shouting just to be heard. It is very easy to decide which one I liked more, in terms of surroundings anyway. As I walked along, my footsteps echoing, I could not help but feel like there was something missing. The art was perfectly fine, but there was a lack of liveliness to the place, something that Chicago had in spades. I remember noticing that the art only had names, and no descriptions. This was something I disliked extremely. It is nice to look at images I suppose, but I want some history. I want the time period, and a description of the artist, two things that play a huge role in what a painting is actually about. I felt like I should just naturally understand what each piece of art was trying to describe to me, which was an irritating feeling.

Positioned alongside Central Park within the heart of New York City, The Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the largest and most influential art museums in the world. The Met houses an extensive collection of curated works that spans throughout various time periods and different cultures. The context of museums, especially one as influential as the Met, inherently predisposes its visitors to a set of understandings that subtly influence how they interpret and ultimately construct meanings about each individual object within a museum. By analyzing two separate works on exhibit at the Met, I will pose the argument that museums offer a unique expression of a world view that is dictated through every element of its construction.

At first, I didn’t want to go to the museum. That day, I was exhausted after finishing school, so going all the way to San Francisco wasn’t exactly my idea of relaxing. Thankfully, my mom insisted we go that day, since it was my dad’s day off. I felt frustrated that we had to go right then, but my mom forced us.