American Wing at the Met a study in contrasts
My partner and I were lucky enough to attend the opening of the new American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City last Tuesday.
I think a great musical accompaniment to what follows is "Prelude" from the Suite for Two Pianos by Amy Beech (1867-1944), the first successful American woman composer and pianist. Here it is, played by Susan and Sarah Wang:
The grace and openness of the glass-walled court at the entrance to the American Wing (itself framed by a neo-classical limestone facade) has been enhanced by a very nice collection of sculptures and architectural pieces.
At right, we look away from the entrance to the new rooms, toward the Tiffany archway that once graced a Florida mansion. Click on the images to make them larger. (All photos courtesy of my shutterbug partner).
Most significant for me was how the juxtaposition of styles in the American Wing beautifully demonstrates the significant aesthetic shifts at the turn of the 20th century. There's a parallel in music, as a new generation of composers struggled against the overwrought emotionality of late-19th century Romanticism.
At the Met, I especially loved the transition from the Victorian parlour to the American Arts & Crafts spareness of Frank Lloyd Wright:
Our favourite piece of furniture was a New York City-made armoire by the Herter Brothers, dating from the late 1870s.
Its clean lines and fine inlay work is inspired by Ming Dynasty furniture.
The look follows the principles of elegance and simplicity (a reaction to Victorian heaviness) espoused by the Aesthetic movement.
One of its chief proponents was British critic Charles Locke Eastlake, who wrote an influential book called Hints on Household Taste in 1868.
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