There is nothing more worthwhile than spending an afternoon in the cool, quiet halls of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. If you come, expect crowds, but don’t let that spoil the fun as there are many places inside to get lost. Take a wander through the various Greek and Roman sculpture galleries and stare into the faces of the ancients.
Revel in the mastery still on display after thousands of years.
Don’t rush. Take your time as even some of the smallest or least well known pieces have something to say. Like these ancient gold armbands for instance…
Somehow looking at all these priceless works through a camera lens makes the experience more intimate and less like you are sharing space with thousands of others, so take your camera with you as they allow photography if you don’t use a flash.
The detail on some of the sculptures almost feels as if they will spring to life at any minute. This particular chap stood out as incredibly handsome, even without his nose. His eyes, although carved of stone, somehow were as brilliant as the real thing. Almost as if they were catching the last dying rays of a sunset and turned gold from the glow. They were beautiful, but haunting at the same time.
The Met is somewhere you could spend a full day. It is a wonderful place to go on any day, but in particular on rainy days. Imagine spending unrestricted time strolling around each gallery, before settling down for a coffee and a snack as you watch the rain fall across Central Park. Lovely thought isn’t it?
On days where the weather is nice, finish off your visit by having a cocktail on the roof garden. You can’t get a better view of New York City in my opinion. And the best part is that not everyone knows about it…it’s off the beaten path so to speak, so you don’t have to worry about massive numbers of people.
After a watching the light change over the New York skyline while sipping a cocktail, take your time making your way to the exit. Walk through the Medieval Gallery or the Arms and Armour display, for something completely different. Or feel as if you’ve stepped into an Andalusian castle by visiting the Patio from the Castle of Vélez Blanco from the 16th century.
Or simply marvel at the wondrous use of color in paintings all around you. This one in particular caught my eye. The color of the woman’s eyes doesn’t translate in the picture as it did looking at the paint on canvas in person. They were luminous.
No matter what your interest or whether you have a great interest or knowledge of art, the Met is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon or a full day in New York City.
Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.
All photos by author.
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