2014 is another exhibition-packed year for the largest art museum in the United States, which also happens to be a stone’s throw from our own 737 Park Avenue. The Metropolitan Museum of Art will feature groundbreaking Victorian artworks, ancient Asian sculptures, and a rather exciting roof garden commission. Here are a selection of the Met’s exciting, upcoming exhibits.
The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux (March 10–May 26)
First things first: the latest Met exhibition open for business is The Passions of Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux. The 19th century French sculptor and painter Carpeaux was renowned for his exceptional ability to craft flesh and blood from stone. His biggest masterpiece is often considered to be Ugolino and His Sons (on permanent show at the Met), and this exhibition will showcase 160 accompanying sculptures, paintings and drawings, some of which stirred up public controversy and protest on their initial unveiling. Carpeaux’s personal life was blighted by illness and violent mood swings. Though he died at only 48, his legacy is massive; the Met is the place to admire it this year.
Lost Kingdoms: Hindu-Buddhist Sculpture of Early Southeast Asia, 5th to 8th Century (April 14–July 27)
Sculpture aficionados are set to get their fill at the Met in 2014. The Lost Kingdoms exhibition will tell the story of ancient domains of Southeast Asia, with a collection of 160 statues from the 5th to 8th centuries. In particular, the cultures of Pyu, Funan, Zhenla, Champa, Dvāravatī, Kedah, and Śrīvijaya will be explored. Lost Kingdoms will be one of the museum’s 2014 show-stealers: it’s the first international loan exhibition of its kind, and among lenders are the National Museums of Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Myanmar, as well as the Musée Guimet in Paris, and various US museums. To see this trove usually would involve a lot of traveling; however, those who reside on the Upper East Side, such as the residents of 737 Park Avenue, don’t need to venture very far at all.
The Roof Garden Commission: Dan Graham (April 29–November 2)
It’s not just about what’s on at the Met, it’s what on top of it, too. Illinois artist Dan Graham has been chosen to work on the second installation atop the museum’s Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. Graham will construct a pavilion from hedgerows and curves of two-way mirrored glass, creating a structure that is both transparent and reflective: a changing, challenging artwork for visitors to interact with. While you’re up on top of the Met, also take the opportunity to admire views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. Quite a sight.
Charles James: Beyond Fashion (May 8–August 10)
The Met’s freshly-renovated Costume Institute kicks off in May with Charles James: Beyond Fashion. The Anglo-American couturier employed mathematical and scientific approaches to clothes design, creating ball gowns, wrap-over trousers, figure-eight skirts and the like, which are still in lauded in fashion circles today. As well as flaunting many of James’ designs, Charles James: Beyond Fashion will show how his work developed through the years, using sketches, pattern pieces, swatches, ephemera and video installations.
The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy (May 20–October 26)
Britain’s Pre-Raphaelite ‘Brotherhood’ was short lived, but immeasurably influential. In just 30 years during the 19th century, Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, Dante Gabriel Rossetti et al tirelessly crafted and promoted their vivid, romantic style of paintings, textiles, furniture, prints, and even poetry. The inspiration behind this intense yet accessible movement was medieval and early Renaissance art, but as The Pre-Raphaelite Legacy will demonstrate, this time around, the art was made for, and consumed by, the masses. Morris’ idiosyncratic prints, for instance, are still seen on walls, curtains, and soft furnishings the world over. Around 30 works from the Met’s collections will be compiled into one exhibition celebrating of the Brotherhood’s enduring legacy.
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