I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday mostly to see the painting of "Washington Crossing the Delaware". This painting was used on the design of the New Jersey State Quarter. After going in "circles" to find the painting, I finally learned that the entire hall was closed that day. It wasn't closed for renovations, however. It was closed because the Museum didn't have enough guards to watch-over the hall. I vigorously complained as no mention that certain halls were closed that day upon entering. They should give rainchecks when this is done. I had to return on Sunday when the hall was opened. The Met has numerous other masterpieces, but I really wanted to see this painting. It is enormous by the way. During a previous visit, the Met had a fire alarm going off (false alarm). We were all forced to leave and weren't given rainchecks, either.
Just inside the front door of the Met, there is an information Kiosk, they can provide you with a map of the museum and direct you to most of the exhibition spaces. They should have been able to tell you where the painting was located. The American Wing is not that hard to find but I've been there so many times, I could find it in my sleep. They might have also alerted you to the closure BEFORE you paid your admission fee. You sound like you go to the museum several times a year. If that is the case, you might consider joining as a member. Your membership fee would not only go toward providing more guards but also you would not have to pay every time you went to visit (thus no need to complain about not getting a raincheck). You might even jot the number to the museum down and give them a call prior to a visit, so that you are not disappointed or inconvenienced any more than necassary. At least you finally got to see it. It's one of my favorites and I visit it as often as I can. I hope that your future visits are much more enjoyable.
Myron. The painting of Washington crossing the Delaware is a great painting of our early history however we all forget about the artist in the boat in front of George painting his portrait. The other bruce.
I've never been particularly impressed with it since it is a completely fictionallized depiction of the event.
One GREAT picture... I remember this pic was hung in our 3rd or 4th grade classroom and we would all face it when we said the "Pledge Of Allegiance" every morning...
Yeah, that is a bummer. Unfortunately, the news conglomerates at the time didn't embed reporters and film crews with the Continental Army. Talk about a missed opportunity. Thankfully, due to global warming I doubt that we will ever see ice flows like that on the Delaware River ever again.
It was mentioned earlier that the painting was huge. The New Jersey state quarter is one of the worst because such a grand design on a small "canvas" looks cluttered and doesn't translate well at all.
With the high fees these museums charge, you'd think they could afford enough guards. Another option would be to secure cameras instead of having to pay so many guards. The exorbitant salaries paid to the directors and curators of these museums are obscene and come directly from membership fees. Local residents should also get a reduced rate to visit these museums. There used to be an Numismatic Museum in uptown Manhattan, but it closed. Chase Bank also had a numismatic museum for years in the lobby of the RCA Building. The admission was free.
The fee to visit the Met is not high in relation to the other museums in midtown Manhattan. New York is a very expensive place to live/work. As I mentioned before, a good way to offset the cost of admission is to become a member. The membership fee usually pays for itself in 2-3 visits...after that..its paid for and you can visit as many times as you like for free. Admission fees only account for 14% of the museums budget. There are cameras in the museum. I'm sure that you are not suggesting that we leave America's treasures unguarded by humans and rely on cameras to provide the only security. That would be unconscionable. I'm not aware of the exorbiant salaries you speak of. You must be thinking about the corporate CEOs but if you have a source to back up your statement that you would like to site, I'd be more than welcome to investigate. Also, to state that they their salaries come from membership fees is also not correct. That money goes toward education programs and outreact projects. Both good causes. Most local resident actually do get a reduced rate in the form of membership. It's much less expensive if you live in the area and plan to visit frequently. Let the tourist pay full price...lol. I believe Met Net membership is $60.00 and it pays for itself after 3 visits. Also, you might not realize that the $60 is a donation and fully tax deductable as well. Finally, you might not be aware of the Saint Gaudens exhibit at Federal Reserve in New York. It's located at 33 Liberty Street on view through March 31, 2008. I'm not sure if there is a fee or not.
