Met And About

One of my favourite paintings at the Met, New York is Jules Bastien-Lepage’s Joan of Arc. It’s not just that I love looking at the painting, it’s that I always find details that I hadn’t seen before. That’s how I feel about the Met and its surroundings.

The Met’s architectural style has evolved. The initial design was considered too Victorian and large parts of it were replaced over the years. It now boasts a Beaux-Arts style. While I’ve seen the beautiful classical sculptures and columns of the building multiple times, I find something new every time I visit.

There are two other things I love about the Met. It’s a great place to ‘people watch’ and it’s right by the park. After sitting on the steps and watching both tourists and locals, runners and cyclists, you could have the gorgeous melody of a saxophonist trail as you step into the park. And there, right behind the museum, but hidden from the street, you stumble upon the obelisk.

The full 71-foot granite structure was commissioned in 1450 BC and only brought to New York in the late 1800s. There reportedly is a time capsule buried under the obelisk that contains the 1870 census report, the complete works of Shakespeare, an exact copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Bible. Sure, the Met isn’t the hippest of New York’s art scene, but it sure is special.