Art in New York City

Art in New York City

    I had the great opportunity of visiting the Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) located in 

Manhattan, New York. Upon approaching,the first thing I noticed was the huge stairs that led up to 

the entrance of the museum that was surrounded by water fountains. Once inside the museum lobby, 

I noticed a huge statue of a Pharaoh. It was extremely crowded with a copious amount of people and 

one guy was actually sketching out one of the art pieces.

            One of many things that I found interesting and rather enjoyed was that admission to the museum only required a donation of any amount which is great because you get to view numerous art pieces on a budget. I felt rather privileged that I had the chance to visualize all the great art pieces that I have heard several people talk about while growing up as a child.

            The museum was bigger than I anticipated so I found myself lost and had to ask the workers where I could locate the pieces of art that I was interested in finding because I am horrible at reading maps. Once I was pointed in the right direction, I began finding myself getting distracted by other statues, paintings, and artifacts.

            As I roamed from gallery to gallery, I was blown away by how impressive the art pieces were. Don’t get me wrong, they are amazing when you see them on television but a whole different story when they are directly in front of you.

            Due to the nature of my visit,  majority of my time was spent with  four art pieces that really drew my attention.  If I can recall correctly, the first piece I saw was the statue of Aphrodite which is a roman marble statue. When I approached her I saw a nude lady with curly hair that was elegantly styled in a bun positioned in the rear of her head. She is an example of a sculpture in –the-round.

            Parts of her nose, lips, and both arms were missing. Her left breast was noticeably lower than her right breast and the left nipple was protruded out more than the right. I noticed that she was standing with her right leg slightly bent and her left foot positioned forward. I got the vibe that maybe she was trying to look away from something that she didn’t want to see. Maybe something unpleasant or something that ticks her nerves.

            According to ancient Greeks, Aphrodite was considered a youthful, beautiful goddess who was associated with life, fertility, and love. She was frequently used as a subject matter in both Greek and Roman art. She was also considered the goddess of warfare by the Assyrians and Babylonians. Statues of Aphrodite were worshipped often by the Greek warriors prior to going into battle. She was seen as a symbol for all that the men were fighting for in order to satisfy their honor and the need to protect their property.

            The Greeks quickly grew famous for showing Aphrodite in the nude, however, they did not start out by posing her in such a way.

           I found her missing arms to be intriguing whether it was an accident or not. According to the MET, her arms originally reached forward to shield her breasts and pubic hair that concealed her sexuality. I suppose that would make sense since she is stamped as being a goddess of love and not lust. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, Aphrodite was considered "one of the finest ancient sculptures in existence", says the MET.

            The second piece I saw was the Fragment of a Byzantine Floor Mosaic with Personification of Ktisis. This piece is dated at 500 – 550 A.D. and the style is mosaic coming from a Byzantine culture. When I first saw this piece, it actually frightened me a bit because it is placed on a wall and as soon as you turn the corner all I saw were these big bright beautiful eyes. Once I got passed how exaggerated her eyes were, I was immediately drawn to the elegantly jeweled lady who appears to be ignoring the man on her right who appeared to be determined to offer her a gift.

 This artwork displays hierarchy of scale. I also noticed that the word “KTT” is placed in the upper center of the piece. At first, I thought that maybe it is an abbreviation for Ktisis, but later on I learned that it’s a Greek word meaning “good” which might imply that he is a man with an acceptable character. This specific work of art reminds me of several couples that I am fortunate to know. This mosaic love story depicts some films I have also had the opportunity to see. However, her eyes remind me of a girl that I went to high school with who was teased because her eyes were the center of attention.

What I love about this piece is the pretty color sequence. Mostly darker tones were used like browns and beige. I saw red but it appears very washed out and I’m not sure if this was purposely done or the colors faded over time.

According to the MET, this bust of a richly bejeweled woman stares from the fragment of a floor mosaic that was once part of a large public building. The Greek word inscripted near her head that was mentioned earlier identifies her as Ktisis which represents the act of generous donation or foundation. Her role is emphasized much like her eyes as she holds the measuring tool for the Roman foot with the upper end in her right hand and the lower end in her left hand. The man positioned on her right side extends a cornucopia toward her as if he is offering her a gift.

Overall, this piece of art gives me a traditional, earthy vibe. This art work would be a perfect accessory to a thanksgiving feast with family and friends.

Thirdly, I saw Madonna and child. The artist of this piece is Duccio di Buoninsegna and the date is circa 1290 -1300. It comes from the Renaissance period and is tempra and gold on wood. This work of art displays a lady holding a child while looking pretty empty headed or like she is overthinking something. I think that she is either sad about something or a lot is going through her mind. If I were to just glance at this painting and did not have the name, I would have immediately guessed that the lady is the Virgin Mary holding her baby Jesus.

According to Christian beliefs, The Madonna actually represents the Virgin Mary and the child represents baby Jesus. The Madonna is shown wearing a huge, dark blue cloak with a golden interior lining that covers most of her body. To show her modesty, the only visible parts of her body that could be seen are her face, neck, and hands that have an unrealistic elongated and skinny appearance to them.

The child appears to be wearing an orange – red colored robe representing power that covers most of his body. He is seated on top of his mothers left arm. Although it’s rather strange that he is suppose to be a child, his face is adult like.

The Madonna’s eyes look extremely empty and sad as if she is without a soul and maybe a tad bit annoyed at the baby for pulling on her veil.

I appreciated the grungy look of this painting but I have to say that this has to be my least favorite piece of art. It finds to remind me of my adolescent years witnessing my mother suffering from depression. Her face would often display a flat affect similar to the one the Madonna had on hers.

According to the MET, the Christ child is pushing away the veil of his mother that obstructed his view of her. The faceful expression reflects her knowledge of his crucifixion that is going to happen later on down the road.

Finally, the last piece I viewed was Mars a Venus United by Love. This is one of my favorite pieces. The artist is Paolo Veronese dated back to 1570. This is an oil painting that definitely does not disappoint.

The colors in this Renaissance painting are extremely rich and vibrant. The blending is out of this world. Immediately when I saw it hanging in the gallery, I wished that it was hanging in my family living room.

I noticed two babies with wings on their backs at the bottom of the painting. My first guess would be that cupid is embracing the left lower leg of the woman named Venus while the man named Mars is supporting the same leg.

When I looked really closely at this painting, I  noticed the cupid that was located on the right had created some sort of barrier for the horse in order for the animal not to get by. I believe this is symbolic for keeping violence and war away and to just live in love and peace with each other.

The horse is probably the horse that Mars fights battles with. I noticed that the horse is painted a blackish color to emphasize fear and his physique is strong and profound. I would not want to get on that horses bad side at all.

Venus is portrayed in the nude while at the same time is attempting to maintain her modesty by covering her right breast with her right hand while Mars covers her pubic area by holding some sort of cloth with his right hand.

Mars is wearing a purple cloak which gives me the idea that he is well respected in his war surroundings and holds some type of superior status to his peers. Venus embraces Mars as she rests her left arm across his upper back as they both appear to be paying close attention to the cupid of love below. That is my interpretation but according to the MET, cupid is binding Mars to Venus with a love knot.

By 1621, it was owned by Emperor Rudolf III along with three other works by the artist but the original owner is unknown.
Work cited:
1. Tompkins, Calvin. Merchants & Masterpieces: The Story of the Metropolitan Museum of                     Art. Henry Holt and Company, New York. 2012.
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin. www.metmuseum.org. September 19, 2017