Photo Essay 1 - The Met

On June 23rd I visited the Metropolitian Museum of art in NYC. Even after spending the entire day there, I still felt as though I didn't see everything. The volume of breathtaking works of art made it difficult to pick favorites from, but I selected the works below because they were either completely foreign to me, piqued my curiosity or touched me personally.

The first painting I chose was Georga O'Keefe's 1906 oil on canvas, "Black Iris." This has always been my favorite Georga O'Keefe painting because of the beautiful coloring. been my favorite Georga O'Keefe painting because of the beautiful coloring. I love how the petals exhibit motion and texture while the shading and shadow add further depth to the painting.

I enjoyed the tribal colection from Africa and the Americas as I have never seen such a collection in person. I was particularly taken by the figure below from Mali (16th-20th century). His stance is actually a position of prayer and his body is ornamented with precice detail.

I am familiar with European Medieval art, but I had never seen anything like "Aquamanile in the Form of Aristotle and Phyllis." This copper aquamanile depicts the humuliation of Aristotle and is from the South Lowlands circa the late 14th century. I found the effect of this piece to be quite powerful because it was able to amuse and disturb me at the same time. I was captivated by the humorous detail that was put into this piece and immediately felt a connection with those who created it as well as with those it entertained. As a Humanities major focusing on European culture from the middle ages through the renaissance, I never cease to be amazed that while a thousand years has brough new technology and conveniences, but it hasn't altered the nature of the human being much at all. On the other hand, the fact that the subject of this piece is Aristotle reveals that no one is immune from ridicule.

I have been interested in fashion history for many years, and the oil on wood painting below (Maria Bortinari by Hans Memling 1470) has appeared in several cosutme books a an example of classic mid fifteenth century attire. I have always loved her ornate neckpiece as well as her headdress.

I was impressed by the stature of Perseus with the head of Medusa that was made in the 19th century by Antonio Canova in Rome. I find this statue to be very captivating because Perseus is appears so commanding. The observer truly believes that this man is capable of conquoring Medusa.I also find Medusa's head to be quite intreguing. Her face holds an unpleasant expressin while not contorting in an overdone fashion. It conveys the events without being too exaggerated.

I absolutely fell in love with these Veenctian doors ca 1575-1600 made of wood, ebony moldings and veneer, semiprecious stones, mother of pearl, partially guilded and painted. The infomational plaque mentioned that they may have been intedned for a palace. I love the role that Venice played as the meeting point between east and west, because of its location and trade, so I'm fascinated by the "hybrid of Eastern and Western motifs" desplayed in this piece. The geometric shapes are of Islamic inspiration while the moldings are classically Venetian.

I really enjoyed this peice "The Triumph of Henry IV" by Peter Paul Rubens done between 1627 and 1631. The painting is oil on wood and it has beautiful movement to it. The figures are very realisticly shaped and positioned, however Reubens style in this painting makes it appear as though they are coming out of a sketch. The less colorful exterior really helps to emphasize the central figures as well as to give it a sence of whirlwind motion.

Another painting I enjoyed seeing was "George Washington Crossing the Deleware". This 1851 oil on canvas by Emanuel Leutze is impressive by its sheer size alone. I've often seen this in history texts and the men struggling and the stoic look on Washington's face has always moved me.

As a English history buff I was struck by the portrait of Queen Victoria on her corrination painted by Thomas Sully in 1838. The oil on canvas painting really depicts her youthful innocence, and yet manages to capture her inner strength and serenity. I love the richness in the background color that brings out the youthful glow in her cheeks. I feel the painting captures the poise that the Queen possesed even at 18years old.