This is the Mecca of all art museums (I’ve never been to the Louvre so maybe that’s up there too lol). I made the mistake of trying to see what it would be like to spend opening to close at the Met. . .I don’t suggest it at all! But to save you the effort, I catalogued the pieces from the AP Art History 250 curriculum owned by the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Oh and I included their locations to ease your hunt. You can thank me later! 🙂
Disclaimer: I only chose the pieces that were the EXACT ones from the 250; for example the New York kouros is not the same kouros, but similar, to the 250.
The Met Fifth Avenue
Location: First Floor, Gallery 115, Sculptures of The Female Pharaoh Hatshepsut, Egyptian Art Wing (this wing is to the right of the main staircase from the 5th Avenue entrance, this is usually the most crowded part of the museum so I’d suggest saving it for later in the day)
The Oxbow (View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm). Thomas Cole. 1836 C.E. Oil on canvas.
Location: Second Floor, Gallery 759, Emergence of the Hudson River School, 1815–50, The American Wing (this one is literally a show stopper when you enter the room and there are lots of other Cole-related artworks around it, making a perfect study of the Hudson River School)
The Burghers of Calais. Auguste Rodin. 1884–1895 C.E. Bronze.
Location: First Floor, Gallery 548, European Sculpture 1700–1900, European Sculpture and Decorative Arts Wing (this statue is back by the Petrie Court Cafe, perfect timing for a snack!)
*Note: there are multiple bronzes of this statue so I’m totally counting this one!
Wall plaque, from Oba’s palace. Edo peoples, Benin (Nigeria). 16th century C.E. Cast brass.
Location: First Floor, Gallery 352, Benin Art, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and The Americas Wing (there are a few of these together on a glass wall in the center-is of the room, I found it hard to remember which exact Benin plaque was part of the 250 hence why I forgot to take a photo!)
Shiva as Lord of Dance (Nataraja). Hindu; India (Tamil Nadu), Chola Dynasty. c. 11th century C.E. Cast bronze.
Location: Second Floor, Gallery 240, South Asian Hindu-Buddhist and Jain Sculpture, Asian Art Wing (this piece is easy to miss because there is so many other gorgeous statues, plus it’s tucked into a corner by an exit)
Read more: Puja at the Hindu Temple Society of North America
Buk (mask). Torres Strait. Mid- to late 19th century C.E. Turtle shell, wood, fiber, feathers, and shell.
Location: First Floor, Gallery 354, Melanesia, Arts of Africa, Oceania, and The Americas Wing (this is the room with the giant suspended boat looking-thing, but the Buk mask is way in the back in its own glass case)
The Met Cloisters
Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece). Workshop of Robert Campin. 1427–1432 C.E. Oil on wood.
Location: Gallery 19, Merode Room (the Met Cloisters is a small museum so just enjoy your time wandering around “getting lost”)
Not on display during my visit or I totally missed these but apparently the Met also owns…
- Aka elephant mask. Bamileke (Cameroon, western grassfields region). c. 19th to 20th century C.E. Wood, woven raffia, cloth, and beads.
- Under the Wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the Great Wave, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Katsushika Hokusai. 1830–1833 C.E. Polychrome woodblock print; ink and color on paper. – I actually saw this at the MFA in Boston instead
- Androgyne III. Magdalena Abakanowicz. 1985 C.E. Burlap, resin, wood, nails, and string.
Oh how I’d love to go to the Met! London’s great for museums and art too, I definitely recommend visiting if it’s on your bucket list.
https://2weekendwanderers.com
Oh it is certainly on my bucket list, but that list seems to grow longer each year!
THANK YOU for taking the time to do this. I am a first year APAH teacher and this helps SO MUCH!
Oh awesome! I’m slow at adding new art history posts but they’re coming
OMG!!! I also teach AP Art History and am taking my students to NYC. Jessica, you have no idea how much time you just saved me in documenting all of this! I am using this in creating a study guide for the trip as we’ll be visiting the Met and I want my kiddos to know where the important objects are. THANK YOU, THANK YOU! A million times, thank you.
Awww no prob! Hopefully they didn’t move anything (seriously). Have a great time in NYC. Don’t forget about the Seagram Building there too!
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