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Merlion
04-22-2007, 06:34 AM
Met Museum opens new Greek, Roman galleries (http://www.auburnpub.com/articles/2007/04/22/news/state/state02.txt)

April 21, 2007, NEW YORK - The original plan for the south galleries at The Metropolitan Museum of Art was to make them the home for the museum's Greek and Roman holdings. Somewhere along the way that changed, and by 1954 much of that space was turned into a restaurant.

But now, after a 15-year, $220 million project, it's again all about the art. The museum's new Greek and Roman galleries opened to the public on Friday,...

With the galleries once again home to ancient statues, bronze sculptures and even an Etruscan chariot, visitors will get a glimpse of history in a logical order - from the north end, which houses Egyptian art, to the new spaces in the south end spanning from the Bronze Age through the reign of Constantine, ....

The newly renovated galleries cover a period from about the fourth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. and bring thousands of pieces of the museum's collection out of storage.

The centerpiece of the new galleries is the Levy and White Court, a grand space that even on a rainy day is bathed in light. In its original iteration, the gallery's skylight roof was only one story up; for the new version, the roof has been raised an additional story. Columns line the atrium, with a black fountain in the center.

Statues and sculptures in the court range from mythological figures like the three Graces and Hercules to historical images of rulers like Caligula and Hadrian. ....

Merlion
04-22-2007, 06:36 AM
These two links about these new galleries are taken from the NY Times. The first is a slide show, and the second is a 6-min video.

Virtuosity and Grace - Slide Show (http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2007/04/19/arts/20070420_ANCI_SLIDESHOW_1.html)

The Met's New Galleries - Greek and Roman Court - Video (http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=fdd83107bcb94942120d8ac1066288e0f10a5d65 )

evaldart
04-22-2007, 07:14 AM
These changes are all well and good and contain breathtaking examples of antiquity but I still miss the old cafeteria hall. What a room. You could sip your coffee with 60 feet of overhead space while stealing the live piano from the expensive restaurant section seperated from you only by a few velvet ropes, gargantuan chandeliers setting the mood. It was a real destination by those in-the-know as the museum was open late on friday nights - us artists could treat our dates special and not go broke...a lavish plate of bloody prime rib was just eleven bucks if you cared to feast.

Now they are just like all the other museums. Basement, salad bars by the pound, bad burgers and kiddie meals. No space, flourescent light and 8 ft ceilings. Get a hot-dog outside and save yourself trouble and money.

But the Met is still my favorite. So many great pieces live there. I'll remind you of this marble by Carpeaux:

evaldart
04-23-2007, 05:37 PM
Another favorite which now resides at the met, inside in the clifford Still room