My first full day in New York was just that – full. Full of things to explore, discover and ponder over. I woke up bright and early – at 7:30a! – and took the subway into the City like a true local in order to spend the day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Having bought tickets last night, I was excited to see what the famed Met had to offer.
The Met houses 5,000 years world of history from all over the world. While on a trip to Paris in 1866, a group of Americans agreed to create a ‘national institution and gallery of art’ in order to encourage art education to the American people. This decision led to people from all facets of professional life – civic leaders, businessmen, artists, art collectors, philanthropists – to come together in order to bring the idea to fruition (from here).
Once created, pieces for the museum were purchased and the rest is history. The amount of work that goes into preserving historical artifacts, culturally significant elements, and keeping past civilizations alive in spirit is formidable. It is a full time job that requires many people with expertise in a variety of areas. The Met certainly lived up to its mission statement, which is to “collect, study, conserve, and present significant works of art across all times and cultures in order to connect people to creativity, knowledge, and ideas (from here).”
The museums’ collection is a commendable and arduous undertaking – especially given the current restrictive political climate – which is why I believe in passionately supporting the preservation of the arts with not only our words, but with our dollars as well. This can be done by paying full ticket price at museums. I’ve noticed New York museums ask that people to pay as much as they can, but it is only fair to pay the full price in order to experience the museums just as fully. It is the right thing to do and helps ensure future generations are able to enjoy history just as we are, today.
I saw a great deal of memorable pieces while at the Met, which I’ll be sharing. It intrigues me that people can be inspired enough to create pieces that endure the test of time. Did Renoir ever imagine that he’d still be talked about and lauded for his work in 2017?
It also amazes me how pieces from all over the world connect us as a human species, regardless of when and where those pieces were created. Everywhere I went in the Met, I saw different civilizations define what it meant for them to create connection, meaning and purpose. Humankind’s quest to find meaning in order to make sense of this vast and infinite universe is simultaneously comforting, overwhelming and calming. Whether it is through the use of religion (Renaissance painters exemplifying God’s glory through His creations’ perfect form), Islamic geometric designs (Muslims do not portray prophets in human form, but bask in the glory of perfect harmonization through geometric design principles), civilizations and societies throughout time have sought to find meaning and connection to the divine in everlasting ways. It felt oddly comforting to be able to stand amidst 5,000 years of history and realize you are a part of it all – the past, present and the future chain that creates connection, yearns for meaning and transcends the mundane.
Une Pause 