Visiting the Met, Part 2

SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: It would take a day just to explore the Met's large collection of European paintings. The paintings hanging in these large rooms give a lesson in the history of art over hundreds of years. There are many Italian paintings of religious stories. But one is especially important. The Italian artist Duccio painted his "Madonna and Child" in thirteen hundred. His painting had a huge influence on later European art. Earlier paintings showed Mary and Jesus in an impersonal and severe way. But Duccio chose to show the very human and emotional interaction between Mary and Jesus. STEVE EMBER: The Spanish painter Diego Rodríguez de Silva y Velazquez made an interesting painting of his assistant in sixteen fifty. The artist captured Juan de Pareja's intense look with great skill. When this painting was first shown to the public, one critic wrote that all other works were paintings, but this one represented truth. One well known work by the French painter Jean Antoine Watteau shows a man in a garden playing a musical instrument. The colorful painting is called "Mezzetin." This artist is most famous for painting sensual actors and dancers. He was influenced by Italian theater traditions of the late sixteen hundreds. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: The English painter J.M.W. Turner painted "Venice, from the Porch of Madonna della Salute" around eighteen thirty-five. His specialty was representing the effect of light on an environment with color and loose brushstrokes. Turner's awareness of changing light would also interest a group of nineteenth century artists known as the Impressionists. The Met's collection of Impressionist works includes paintings by Claude Monet, Camille Pissarro and Auguste Renoir. STEVE EMBER: The area of the museum known as the American Wing contains fine examples of American art, sculpture, glass, silver and other design objects. There are also twenty historical rooms which show different periods of American building and furniture design. The Samuel Hart Room, originally in Ipswich, Massachusetts, dates to about sixteen eighty. The room has white plaster walls with large ancient pieces of dark wood. It has very little light and very low ceilings. The room was used for cooking, eating and sleeping. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: One area of the American Wing contains thousands of objects in storage. In most museums, storage areas are not open to the public. But here, the many objects are stored behind glass so the public can explore the Met's rich collection of historical objects. Some paintings that are part of the American Wing tell about important historical events. One of these is "Washington Crossing the Delaware" painted by Emanuel Leutze in eighteen fifty-one. It shows George Washington and his soldiers during an important event of the American Revolution. STEVE EMBER: Others are portraits of individuals. John Singer Sargent's painting known as "Madame X" was disputed when it was shown in eighteen eighty-four. The painting is of a wealthy American woman who lived in France. She was famous for her beauty. Madame Pierre Gautreau is wearing a low-cut black dress that shows off her pale skin. Mr. Sargent considered this his best work. One unusual painting finished in eighteen nineteen takes up a whole room. Artist John Vanderlyn created a panoramic painting of the gardens and palace of Versailles in France. The painting hangs in a circular room and completely surrounds visitors standing in the middle of the space. The circular painting was first shown in a circular building in downtown New York. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: Another area of the museum is named after a major donor, the Robert Lehman Wing. Upon his death, Mr. Lehman left the museum over three thousand works of art. Museum organizers set up the collection so that the rooms look like Mr. Lehman's apartment in New York. The many Italian and Northern European paintings hang in rooms with wall and floor coverings, lamps, and furniture. STEVE EMBER: So far, the works we have looked at are from the past. But the Met also has an excellent modern art collection. For example, you can see Spanish-born painter Pablo Picasso's colorful work "Reading at a Table." The artist uses curving shapes and waving lines to represent his lover as she reads. "Cow's Skull: Red, White and Blue" is a well known work by American artist Georgia O'Keefe. She often painted animal bones because of their interesting shapes and simple beauty. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: We end our visit to the Metropolitan Museum of Art on the museum's Roof Garden. Here, visitors can sit and enjoy the views of New York City after a long day learning about art from around the world. STEVE EMBER: This program was written and produced by Dana Demange. I'm Steve Ember. SHIRLEY GRIFFITH: And I'm Shirley Griffith. You can see pictures of some of these works of art at our website, voaspecialenglish.com. You can also find transcripts of our programs and download audio. And you can find us on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at VOA Learning English. Join us again next week for EXPLORATIONS in VOA Special English. Source: Voice of America