The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is one of the world’s most astounding art museums. But with two million square feet of exhibition space and thousands of objects on view at any given time, it can be challenging to decide what to see.
Christine Kuan, Director of the Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York, selected 16 must-see works of art at the Met.
"The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a treasure trove of masterpieces from every culture, time period, and medium, so choosing a mere 16 is almost impossible," Kuan said. "The ones shown here are personal favorites — they stun me with their beauty, imagination, and power. More than just exceptional works of artistic achievement, these objects also demonstrate what human civilization can produce at its best."
Kuan also provided descriptions of these works, and told us why she thinks they're so important.
"The Harvesters" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.
"One of the neverending delights of Pieter Bruegel the Elder is his depiction of everyday Netherlandish life. You can bask in every detail of the peasants enjoying a delicious picnic at the end of a day of hard labor in the golden fields."
The Yves Saint Laurent pieces at the Met’s Costume Institute show Manus x Machina: Fashion in an Age of Technology (on view through August).
"Yves Saint Laurent was the ultimate French couturier who redefined what is sexy with his 'Le Smoking' tuxedo for women and ultrachic looks like this silk and bird of paradise feather dress."
Portrait of Lukas Spielhausen by Lucas Cranach the Elder.
"The beard has made a comeback and nowhere is it more striking than in Lucas Cranach the Elder’s detailed portrait of Lukas Spielhausen, a high-ranking lawyer in 16th-century Saxony."
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