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LATEST MUSEUM__________________________________________
Roman Antiquities at the
MET
by Bob
Brooke
The Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, otherwise known as the MET, has one of
the greatest collections of Roman antiquities in the United States.
Strolling through the galleries of Roman antiquities is like
stepping back to a time over two millennia ago.

The
1874 to 1876 purchase of the Cesnola Collection of Cypriot art—works
dating from the Bronze Age to the end of the Roman period—helped to
establish The MET's reputation as a major Museum of classical
antiquities..
The Museum's collection
of Greek and Roman art comprises over 30,000 works,, dating from the
Neolithic Period around 4,500 BCE to the time of the Roman Emperor
Constantine's conversion to Christianity in 312 CE. The MET’s Roman art
collection coincides with the expansion of the Roman Empire.
The MET’s first acquired
object was a Roman sarcophagus from Tarsus, donated on November 20,
1870. Its first director, Luigi Palma di Cesnola, was appointed on the
strength of the acquisition and display of his large collection of
antiquities from Cyprus. The third director, Edward Robinson, an
accomplished classical archaeologist whose tenure saw an exceptional
enrichment of the collections by bequest, gift, and purchase.

The
Roman marble sarcophagus, a masterpiece of ornate craftsmanship and
preservation, stands as a centerpiece in the Roman Art exhibit.
Originating from the collection of the Dukes of Beaufort and gracing
Badminton House in England since 1733, its meticulously carved sides and
front showcase a breathtaking display of artistry and narrative.
In 2004, the MET reinstalled its Roman galleries. With more than 5,300
objects on view in an area of more than 30,000 square feet, the focal
point is the Leon Levy and Shelby White Court—a monumental, skylit
peristyle for the display of Hellenistic and Roman art with a soaring
two-story atrium. The new galleries present the most important and
familiar masterworks in the Greek and Roman collection.
Among
the highlights of this vast collection are the numerous nude statues,
which not only capture the human form in stunning detail but also offer
profound insight into the ideals, values, and artistry of the ancient
world. They stand majestically among the classical columns of Court.
The nude statues in The Met’s Roman collection represent more than just
physical beauty—they embody the ancient world’s fascination with the
human form as a vessel of perfection, power, and divinity. The Romans,
inspired by the Greeks, took this tradition and infused it with their
own cultural narrative, using nude sculptures to depict not only
mythical figures but also prominent citizens, emperors, and warriors in
anatomical precision, with every muscle, curve, and posture carefully
sculpted to create a lifelike presence.
To the Romans, nudity symbolized power and vulnerability and was often
used in sculptures commemorating military victories or political
achievements. In some cases, Roman sculptors created the statues of nude
emperors as if they were gods, blurring the lines between mortal rule
and divine right.

Besides marble and bronze Roman portrait busts, and wall paintings from
two villas on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius, one at Boscoreale and the
other at Boscotrecase, the Museum’s collection includes hundreds of
pieces of glassware, silver, and terracotta objects. Visitors learn
about Roman everyday life through oil lamps and everyday pottery.. The
department's holdings in glass and silver are among the best in the
world.
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