The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art - Essay Example

? Number] Response Paper – The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art As I walked along the street with all my fellow classmates, my eyes scrutinized the most amazing place I have ever seen. A huge cemented monstrosity, almost touching the sky, stood in front of me. It was something I have really wanted to visit for many years. This Art Museum was a place that compelled all the art lovers to take a sneak peek into the world of art of different cultures and countries. These amazing art pieces caught my eye and galvanized my body. From Asian culture to African, from Chinese jaw dropping sculptures to European’s art, several magnificent art pieces hung on the wall conveying their messages and showcasing their beauty in the most elegant way. When I browsed the exhibits carefully, I was completely intrigued by the Asian’s amazing artwork. It’s beautifully gigantic structure was something to die for and made me admirable. I was actually not able to grasp one thing: How a human being can make such a thing? The delicacy and perfection made me speechless and left me spell-bound. Art is one of those things which ask for no boundaries. It is something that compels the human mind to do and to make what he likes, what he feels like. This was something our teacher told us in every art class and now I could clearly see the presence of her words in these paintings and sculptures. I was not only seeing these paintings through my eyes but was trying to feel them, the fragrance of the place it belonged to, the culture and the messages it conveyed to the people. There was this one piece of art which demonstrated the mockery of the wealthy and rich people. These were dressed up sculptures of skeletons which startled me and struck my fancy the most. It brought me a unique visual experience I have ever encountered. This Art Museum offered a colourful smorgasbord of remarkable discoveries. Huge wall paintings, miniature statues and hasty sketches provided us a chance to see the most awe-inspiring beauty. Both contemporary art and antiquity art were showcased in these paintings. This was a place which was emphasizing on every type of art and promoting the old cultures being demonstrated in these paintings and sculptures. New York Metropolitan Museum of Art is tagged as a behemoth in such an artistic and intricate world. In the area where Chinese Sculptures were placed, it appeared contemplative across the room to me. There was a deep meaning hidden behind these sculptures, their eyes gazing trying to say something to the observers. With keen eyes, I scribbled down everything I observed, even the minute details that amalgamated and produced some amazing pieces. I was constantly relating all these artistic pieces with the material I had made so far and whatever we studied in school, it was nothing in front of this mammoth sized paintings and the perfect sculpted figures which showed the perfect picture of numerable cultures, i.e. Buddhism. The collections of painting that were housed in this art museum were uncountable. From every corner of the globe, hundreds of years old history and culture was seen in these amazing art pieces. Artifacts that were exhibited included some European Art that left me speechless. Art holdings from the extensive portfolios of various artists like Van Gogh, Manet, Rembrandt etc were showcased that helped us to go back to what we have studied in our art classes. I could relate all my paintings which were truly inspired from these amazing artists’ creations hundreds of years old. Some pieces from the Egyptian Era and the Islamic empire were seen in this art museum which gave us a chance to understand the insight of these artists belonging to a completely different cultures and traditions. This is what an art museum does. It brings all the cultures under one roof and enables the observers to see how the whole world is indulged in one thing together, in the magic of art, although belonging to completely different world. Under a two million square feet area, the most exhaustive collection of paintings is showcased. From European decorative arts to Asian masterpieces, from greatest antiquities of Islamic Empire to some notable American paintings, it has everything. Metropolitan Museum of Art has 30 gallery exhibitions every year (Lewis 4); just the same way we hold art exhibitions in our school. The difference is that here over 300,000 people visit and experiences this beauty of art and get startled, this place gave people a great exposure into the art history and the cultures that prevailed at that time. Along with numerous paintings and sculptures, a great number of musical instruments are also showcased of different courses of history which convey us one thing that even many years ago, music was promoted in many cultures. It had a place in the lives of many people. There was a place there where my soul literally exhaled and got nurtured. Impressionist wing was a place which exhibited the finest of art creations. It gave me a spiritual and divine feeling and soothed my nerves. The priceless art stocked inside this museum situated in New York makes every art-lover a fan of something. I was not really into Egyptology but the beautiful Egyptian paintings gave me a reason to develop immense interest in their culture and people. In one corner of the museum, a Greek sculpture stood in front of me under the sunlight. I could see even the minute details and the landscape of the bodies in these perfect sculpted creations. What we have studied so far in arts, I experienced everything on the day I visited this place. I realized the epitome of beauty one can encounter in the world of art. Chinese ability to produce the best portraits and abstracts was something we read about in our books but now I could see it with my eyes. This museum was built when every culture was showing keen interest in promoting study of fine arts and their love for sculpture making and music. They found this hobby the best past time and the best way to exhibit their feelings and emotions. Every art lover at time was encouraged by its people to showcase their artistic skills and convey their messages to the world through these paintings. Many war paintings made by Japanese illustrated their beliefs regarding war in their religion and culture and how they felt about it. The magnificent European paintings showed their distinctive artistic style and manifested their culture. The best place to visit for culture lovers is this New York Metropolitan Museum of Art which contains the world’s most esteemed art collections, with different cultural background of numerous groups belonging to different cultures. A gamut of genres and eras run through the works of this museum, a perfect demonstration of the life happenings and the fragrance of multiple cultures prevailing in the museum. Everything from abstract expressionism by different affiliated artists, especially Chinese and Japanese, to the European’s ability to make outstanding portraits makes the observer dumb founded. Metropolitan Museum of Art’s galleries cover the world of art, the art holding belonging from a vast geographical spread, passing through several centuries. This is why it covers every culture, every tradition illustrated in the best way possible in these paintings, sculptures and musical instruments. Every art and culture lover will find this place the best to relate to everything they have studied and experienced so far. Every culture and art technique is housed under one roof, under the roof of New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. Work Cited Lewis, Robert. From Traveling Show to Vaudeville: Theatrical Spectacle in America, 1830-1910. NY: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2007. Print. Read More