Wed. 06/09/2010 - Metropolitan Museum Day

My original plan for today was going to Nolita and Lower East Side...but after I found out the weather would not be great, I had to come up with new plan that I could stay indoor all day. Museum was a perfect place for it, so I completely changed my plan, and headed to Metropolitan Museum. I was very glad that I went there, because it was raining all day outside, and most of all it was almost breathtaking experience to see Met. There was no way to capture all these artifacts, treasures and arts in a couple of photographs. Only my eyes and heart could fully experience them. So pictures here are just mere glimpse of what I saw and felt today and not so chronologically or regionally organized neither. (Because I was totally a time traveler jumping around Medieval to ancient Egypt to 19th century Europe)

{Metropolitan Museum of Art}

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{Today's Pin}
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{Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, The Glorification of the Giustiniani Family, 1784-85, Italy} 
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{Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, The Sacrifice of Isaac, mid-1750s, Italy}
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{Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo, A Dance in the Country, ca. 1755, Italy}

Every single brush stroke was so live on his paintings. 
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{Eustache Le Sueur, The Rape of Tamar, probably ca. 1640, France}

This is assumed to depict the scene from II Samuel when Tamar was raped by her brother Amnon, the son of David. Despite of the story, I just loved the orange and blue colors of Tamar's dress.
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{Drue Heinze Gallery Containing European Paintings}
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{Giovanni Paolo Panini, Interior of Saint Peter's, Rome, probably ca. 1750, Italy}

It was almost like I was there, and all these figures in the painting, every one had personality and character.
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{Lucas Cranach the Elder, The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara, ca. 1510, Germany}

Barbara was about to be executed by her father by refusing her Christian faith...according to legend.
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{Jean Clouet, Guilluame Budé, ca. 1536, France}

The simplicity in color palettes but the contrast between black and blue looked impressive.
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{Patio from the Castle of Vélez Blanco, 16th Century, Spain}
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{The Garden Room in the Franckenstein Pavilion, 1761}
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It was one of the English room I looked around. The wall color was much lighter and muted yellow than in picture...
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Another English Room circa 1698. The bed was draped by all heavy blue fabrics. Somehow it looked a little bit scary...
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{A Wall Panel from An English House, ca. 1600}
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{Dining Room from Landsdowne House, ca. 1765-68, England}

The wall color was very light gray with hint of blue. I got so much inspiration for wall colors from these rooms and also from rooms of the museum. (each gallery or room had different wall paints or papers)
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Chandeliers from one of the rooms...
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{Screen with Birthday Celebration for General Guo Ziyi, dated 1777, Qing dynasty}

Great piece showing Chinese elaborated carving work. 
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{Pair of Seated Figures Playing Luibo, 1st Century BC - 1st Century AD, Han Dynasty}
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{Picasso, Women in Profile, 1901, Spain}

There was a special exhibition of Picasso. I read it's the most comprehensive exhibition ever at Met. featuring around 300 works. It was also the most popular exhibition today.
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{Henri Matisse, Odalisque with Gray Trouser, 1927, France}

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{Vincent van Gogh, Cypresses, 1889, Netherlands}

This was a small portion of the painting from the right side. On the left, there was a dark green tree. I am not sure why I took this part...
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{Henri Matisse, Nasturtiums with the Painting "Dance", 1912, France}

Purple going through green and met with yellow and red...every color was arranged so articulately. 
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{Mark Rothko, No. 3, 1953, America}

I just love Rothko. My favorite among favorites...
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{Jackson Pollock, Autumn Rhythm (Number 30), 1950, America}

I always feel so much energy in his work.
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{Donald Judd, Untitled, 1981, America}
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{Jasper Johns, White Flag, 1955, America}
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{Clyfford Still, Untitled, 1946-47, America}
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{Gustav Klimt, Mada Primavesi, 1912, Austria}
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{Kiki Smith, 1994, America}
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{Andy Warhol, Skull, 1977, America}
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{Chuck Close, Mark, 1978-79, America}

This was larger than life portrait. It was so photo-realistic, but this was a painting...
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{Joel Shapiro, Untitled, 2000-2001, America}

{Elleworth Kelly, Blue Panel, 1977, America}

These two works by different artists were making very interesting new work; One was 2 dimensional, one was 3 dimensional, but both were geometrical, and using primary color that was opposite color to each other. 
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{Alberto Giacometti, Tall Figure, 1947, Swiss}
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{Alberto Giacometti, Cat, Swiss}
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{Paul Klee, The One Who Understands, 1934, Germany}
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{Fernand Léger, Divers, Blue and Black, 1942-43, France}
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{Marc Chagall, The Lover, 1913-12, France}

I grew up looking through a Chagall book that was a birthday gift to my mom from my father. To little me, his paintings were full of fantasy, like this one here. Also my father's note to my mom was written on the book, and it made me imagine how they were like before I was born. So, to me, Chagall was always a passage to fantasy and imaginative world, and also reminiscent to the childhood.
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{Anatjari Tjakamarra, Sons and Orphans near Kurlkurta, 1984, Australia}
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{Folk Arts from New Guinea}
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{The Dress Parka by Eskimos, ca. 1900}

I could totally envision this transferring to a coat for today's.
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{Pair of Cuffs, Panama or Costa Rica, 11th-16th Century}

These looked very much modern. Or modern designs we see today's got inspirations from old. I guess the later is true.
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{Couch and Footstool with Bone Carvings and Glass Inlays, 1st-2nd Century AD, Roman}
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{Limestone Sphinx, ca. 550-525 BC, Greek}
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And many of Roman glasses...

Unfortunately, I couldn't enjoy the Roof Garden today because of bad weather. And couldn't record any of dresses from "American Women" exhibition. All the dresses were so pretty...my favorite was Flappers period ones.