A visit to the Met

Yesterday I went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. I have a membership there this year and have been trying to take advantage of that. I wholly recommend anyone in the area to do this. The Met has so much to offer and there are new exhibits every month, so there is always something new to discover there.

 I went to see the special Vermeer exhibit called Vermeer's Materpiece The Milkmaid. The focal point, of course is the titled piece, on loan to the Met. They have also gathered all their own Vermeers together and some other works by Vermeer's contemporaries. 

The Milkmaid surprised me. I thought I knew Vermeer. I thought I knew what all the fuss was about him. The light, the composition, the servant girl, I've seen these before and admired them. I have always loved Young Woman with a Water Pticher. 

But the Milkmaid is not the same! It is crisp, crisp, crisp lines. It is so much more of a photographic portrayal. And the colors are just so right. It is beautiful. It is worth going to see if you have the opportunity. 

I loved that the exhibit had the other works nearby, because I went back and forth, looking at Water Pitcher and Milkmaid, observing the differences between them. Water Pitcher is more diffused, as through a veil. I still love Water Pitcher, but have even more love and respect for Vermeer after seeing The Milkmaid. 

It also pointed out to me yet again, how important it is to see works of art firsthand. A picture of the works can never fully give you the same experience.  In a book, pictures of these two works will look very similar. In the same room with both originals, you will be struck by their differences.

Stay tuned.. I'll review some of the other exhibits I saw in the next few days.