History tells that Europeans discovered America. Centuries later, at the Metropolitan Museum, however, they propose a new way for America to discover Europe.
The art of the Old Continent, with some 800 works in 45 galleries dated between the years 1300 and 1800, looks very different and presents a different narrative in the New York institution, after five years in which it has undergone its major renovation, with a budget of 150 million dollars.
“In each gallery we try to answer the two most pressing questions of visitors,” jokes Stephan Wolohojian, curator in charge of the European painting department during a walk. The first question visitors ask employees is “where is the nearest toilet?” The second is more difficult to answer: “I only have 20 minutes, what can I see?”
Restructuring facilitates an answer. “In each room we have placed what we call a destination object that acts as an anchor for all those who want to say ‘I have been to the Met’ and allows you to quickly observe important pieces,” he emphasizes.
This is one of the conceptual innovations from the physical transformation that affects a space of 13,000 square meters (a building of one block), just above the great central staircase, to which three monumental works by Giovanni Battista Tiepolo welcome and They introduce the geographical limits of the collection (composed of 679 priceless paintings and 112 other works of art), while inviting us to consider the dynamic nature of European borders and the global diversity of Mediterranean antiquity.
Let the light be made. The conversion originated from the need to provide energy efficiency and sustainability to the building. This is also a message. The three wings that house these rooms were the ones with the highest energy consumption. In this process, begun in 2018, they have changed 1,400 skylights, many of these for the first time in 84 years, and replaced 7,000 glass panels on the roof of the 45 galleries. Additionally, the new heating and cooling system will save 1,700 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the equivalent of taking 360 cars off the road.
“Now we enjoy the great luxury of having natural light in our rooms, you can even see the clouds circulating and how the passing of the day is reflected in the works,” Wolohojian remarks. It is spectacular and even more so when the zigzags have been eliminated and now you can see a long corridor in which the spaces follow one another.
But the infrastructure reform gives way to “a reconceptualization by presenting the collection with a new lens.” Before, these canvases were organized by national schools (Spanish paintings regrouped, separated from Italian, Dutch or German ones). “We haven't thrown the pieces into the air and seen how they landed. There is a true order,” he maintains.
That order is chronological. But associations are made, ancient creations in dialogue with the Venetians or walls shared by El Greco and Picasso where it is palpable how the Renaissance inspired the Surrealist, especially in the blue period.
