Oh, Say Can You See The Mets New American Wing
By [Anam Baig] American art has made a comeback at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The third and final phase of the museum"s 10-year, $100 million project is complete, and 26 newly designed galleries will be opened to the public this Monday. First opened in 1924, The Met"s American Wing originally only displayed decorative arts, such as furniture and silverware, through the medium of period rooms. In the 1930s, paintings started coming in, and by the 1980s, galleries were opened to display the paintings. Before the wing closed for the redesign, the painting galleries were on two levels in a non-cohesive order. Now they are all on one floor and have been expanded to encompass 30,000 square feet. The French Beaux-Arts-inspired revamp of the second floor of The Met has transformed the American Wing into a bright and open area for art lovers and novices to enjoy and appreciate paintings, sculptures, furniture and silverware, pieces that reflect both the history and patriotic culture of America. Morrison Heckscher, chairman of the American Wing, described the galleries as â??chrono-thematic 's melding time periods and themes to create a story of American life. â??Our vision, Heckscher said, â??was not just to highlight American art but to bring out American life and American culture through these art pieces. After the agony of rethinking and redesigning, architect Kevin Roche and I decided that it wasn"t enough just to expand the gallery west; we had to â??raise the roof" in order to create a modern gallery with a historic feel. Each gallery has high, vaulted or coved ceilings and natural lighting. The walls are cream-colored and bare save for beautifully maintained masterpieces that hang from thin, barely visible wires. No sculptures are roped off, allowing viewers an up close and personal experience of the artist"s handiwork. Furniture and silverware are delicately displayed as standing works of art and culture that reflect the artistry of early American craftspeople. The Anthony W. and Lulu C. Wang Galleries of 18th Century American Art are devoted to paintings and architecture, furniture, silver and other decorative arts. Thematic groupings, in a broadly chronological order, of paintings and sculpture of the 19th and early 20th centuries are showcased in the Joan Whitney Payson Galleries. Eras covered range from the Hudson River School to the Ashcan movement. Different themes, such as American life and revolution, highlight political tension and domestic life through the paintings of John Singleton Copley, Cecilia Beaux and Mathew Pratt, among many others. The main attraction is in the Peter Jay Sharp Foundation Gallery, where Emanuel Leutze"s original Washington Crossing the Delaware hangs in its beautifully recreated gilded frame. This vast, majestic work of art is surrounded by breathtaking landscapes crafted during the Hudson River School era, making the gallery a patriotic emblem of American art and identity. â??The curators did a great job representing American art, said Mike E. List, a staffer at The Met. â??There are a lot of visitors who come here and really enjoy seeing everything we own, and now that we have nearly 90 percent of our American artwork displayed, visitors will get a better perspective of early American landscapes, lifestyles and our patriotic nature. Other timeless American works of art displayed in the galleries include John Singer Sargent"s Madame Xˆ¸ Charles Willson Peale"s George Washington, and Thomas Cole"s View from Mount Holyoke.