At Large  November 12, 2021  Anna Claire Mauney

A Brief Look at The Met's Fascinating History

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Author: anna
Wikimedia Commons. Photo by Irving S. Underhill.

The facade of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1914.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is the United State's greatest art museum and perhaps the greatest in the world. While the museum, like many others, has a history rooted in colonialism, it has taken steps in recent years to make amends for its troubled past.

This list presents a handful of notable, historical moments from the institution's 150-plus years of existence. From the museum’s murky accession of its first artwork in 1870 to the ground-breaking introduction of its Open Access Initiative in 2017, The Met and its artworks have reflected the cultures they came from.⁠

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Wikimedia Commons.
Opening reception of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at the temporary hall, No. 681 Fifth Avenue, February 20th published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1872. Wood engraving.
The Museum Opens
Opening reception of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, at the temporary hall, No. 681 Fifth Avenue, February 20th published in Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper in 1872. Wood engraving.

Founded in 1870, the Met was always intended to be a space within New York City that housed and presented to the public a collection of artworks spanning a vast range of medium, origin, and time period. The museum's concept was created by a group of Americans who met in Paris in 1866 and agreed to create a space for art, history, and culture in the United States. The Met originally opened in the Dodworth Building at 681 Fifth Avenue.

About the Author

Anna Claire Mauney

Anna Claire Mauney is the former managing editor for Art & Object. A writer and artist living in North Carolina, she is interested in illustration, the 18th-century, and viceregal South America. She is also the co-host of An Obsessive Nature, a podcast about writing and pop culture.