Admiring an Egyptian temple

by Malgorzata Zielinska

What I really like at the MET is the Egyptian temple. It stands in the middle of a huge hall with glass walls and a glass celling. Natural light illuminates the area and is reflected on the water surrounding the temple. The whole complex gives the impression as if it were located in the open air.

As a tourist you could spend a long time there, even hours contemplating the play of sun, water and shadows; but probably also as a New Yorker, you can still enjoy the atmosphere even if you may have seen the place many times.

The historical aspect of the exhibition, of course, plays a very important role, too. You can see some hieroglyphics on the old stone, which are perhaps 3000 or 5000 years old, and you can imagine people from previous eras working on them. You could picture Egyptians who left the messages for us on the walls of their temple and even try to guess what they were willing to tell us.

The combination of the old historical ruins and the new modern architecture gives a great opportunity to admire both old and new cultures together.

Paris Hilton at the Met?

by Gwen de Backer

First we went through the Egyptian section. The collection of ancient Egyptian art at the Metropolitan Museum is said to rank among the finest outside Egypt. You should come take a look, it's really worth it! Then, we went through the Arms and Armor section, which was also very impressive; I was so absorbed by what I saw that I lost track of the group. I tried to find them, but where did they go? In which part of the museum are they? After a while I gave up looking for them and decided to enjoy the visit on my own—just me, myself, and I. 

I started wandering in the museum, my guide was my gut feeling. There were a couple of temporary exhibitions such as Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty. The line to get in was so huge; people had been waiting for hours to see it! I was sure my classmates were not in this section. Another exhibit was Richard Sera Drawing: A retrospective. I was also sure they hadn't gone to see this one—Not because they wouldn't like it but because, for some of them, it was their first time visiting the Met so they already had so many things to discover. Then I thought if my goal weren't to find them, perhaps I would unexpectedly meet them. Who knows? 

Suddenly, something caught my attention! It was a painting of a woman, a woman with a dog. I got closer. It was an elegant woman with a toy dog. The name of the painting was: A woman with a dog, and was painted by a famous french painter from the 18th century called Fragonard. I had a feeling of “déjà vu”. She had thin facial features and fancy clothes. Both of them, the woman and the dog, looked picky—or more like spoiled—elegant, mannered, and kind of snobbish, too. I finally understood my feeling of “déjà vu”. This woman with her dog and her fancy jewels made me think of Paris Hilton in an earlier “version”. Me, myself, and I were laughing together for a while! Finally, I decided to move on and to enjoy other parts of the museum when I heard someone calling my name. They saw me! My classmates were back.

If I hadn't lost track of the group, I wouldn't have found that "Woman with a dog", which gave my visit to the museum a nice time of fun. Laughter is the best medicine, right?

Admiring one painting in particular

Hanging out on the front steps of the Met. 

by Lukasz Sleziak

I really like going to museums. I like paintings and sculptures, even the buildings, themselves. Last Wednesday, I was at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This was an amazing experience for me. First, the museum building, which was huge and richly decorated with many rooms, beautiful stairs and corners. Second, I had the opportunity to visit several permanent exhibitions, including the art of Egypt with the beautiful Temple of Dendur and a peaceful exhibition of Asian art with a replica of a Chinese home.

However, I was most impressed by the 19th and early 20th Century European paintings and sculptures. There, I liked Van Gogh and Monet paintings the most, especially the painting "Garden at Sainte-Adresse". It is a painting by the French impressionist painter, Claude Monet. This image shows a group of people in the garden by the sea. It shows a man and a woman sitting on chairs in the garden and a man and a woman talking along a short wall barrier by the seafront. Women are holding colorful umbrellas and dressed in clothes from that era. In addition, men are dressed elegantly. In the distance you can see a few ships. The garden has a few chairs and lots of colorful flowers. Two flags are waving against a blue sky. The picture is very lively and colorful. The painting is now in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art. It was bought in 1967, with special contributions given or bequeathed by friends of the Museum.

After visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I've decided to visit museums more often.

Garden at Sainte-Adresse by Claude Monet