The sixteen greatest masterpieces at the Met right now

Wikimedia Commons

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York is ane of the world's most astounding art museums.But with two million square feet of exhibition space and thousands of objects on view at any given time, it can be challenging to decide what to see.

Christine Kuan, Director of the Sotheby'south Institute of Art, New York , selected 16 must-­see works of art at the Met.

"The Metropolitan Museum of Art is a treasure trove of masterpieces from every culture, time period, and medium, so choosing a mere 16 is almost impossible," Kuan said. "The ones shown hither are personal favorites — they stun me with their dazzler, imagination, and ability. More than merely exceptional works of artistic achievement, these objects also demonstrate what human civilization can produce at its best."

Kuan also provided descriptions of these works, and told us why she thinks they're so important.

"The Harvesters" by Pieter Bruegel the Elder.

Wikimedia Commons

"1 of the never­ending delights of Pieter Bruegel the Elder is his depiction of everyday Netherlandish life. You tin can savour in every detail of the peasants enjoying a succulent picnic at the end of a 24-hour interval of hard labor in the gilt fields."

The Yves Saint Laurent pieces at the Met's Costume Institute show Hand x Machina: Fashion in an Historic period of Technology (on view through August).

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

"Yves Saint Laurent was the ultimate French couturier who redefined what is sexy with his 'Le Smoking' tuxedo for women and ultra­chic looks like this silk and bird of ­paradise feather dress."

Portrait of Lukas Spielhausen past Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Wikimedia Commons

"The beard has made a comeback and nowhere is it more striking than in Lucas Cranach the Elder's detailed portrait of Lukas Spielhausen, a high­-ranking lawyer in 16th-century Saxony."

Fragment of a Queen's Face (ca. 1353–1336 B.C.).

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

"Of all the extraordinary objects in the Met's Egyptian collection, this fragment of a queen's confront blows me away with its exquisite and sensuous modeling. The yellow jasper seems as palpable as mankind and the sculpture is as modernistic as a Brancusi."

"Cypresses" (1889) past Vincent van Gogh.

Wikipedia Commons

"Only Vincent van Gogh can turn a landscape into an emotional ride. With every brushstroke, the free energy of the cypresses and even the sky comes alive. During his life he only sold 1 painting, but now we recognize that he was a genius ahead of his time. Would you accept collected a van Gogh when he was an unknown?"

"Woman with a Parrot" (1866) by Gustave Courbet.

WikiPaintings

"Nineteenth­-century bad boy Gustave Courbet fabricated waves in the French Academy with his paintings of stonebreakers, a funeral, and disheveled nudes. Bed pilus, discarded vesture, and an overeager parrot—scandale! A masterwork of wild abandon."

Mosque lamp (14th century).

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

"Islamic glass incorporates historical techniques from Byzantine and Sasanian Empires and takes information technology to the next level with extraordinarily refined craftsmanship. The use of color, calligraphy, and decorative elements make mosque lamps from this period glitter like jewelry (which you'll too discover at the Met)!

"Ugolino and His Sons" (1865–67) by Jean­Baptiste Carpeaux.

Wikimedia Eatables

"This sculpture depicts the gory tale of Ugolino and his sons starving to death and his sons begging their dad to eat them! See Dante's Inferno Canto 33. The gnawing hunger and hellish dilemma are powerfully conveyed in this Carpeaux masterpiece."

"Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga" (1784–1792) by Goya.

Wikimedia Eatables

"Goya captures the magic and innocence of childhood in this portrait of Manuel Osorio Manrique de Zuñiga. The three cats about to devour the magpie create a tension that makes the painting feel so ominous."

Caput of a Queen Mother (Iyoba) from Nigeria (1750–1800).

© The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

"This beautiful Benin sculpture of the head of a Queen Female parent (Iyoba) from the 18th century is such a strong example of the aesthetic influence African art has had on artists everywhere. Being able to be inspired by artists and cultures of all time periods is what makes the Met one of the nearly boggling institutions in the earth."

"Madame X" (1883­-1884) past John Singer Sargent.

Wikimedia Commons

"American artist John Vocalist Sargent originally painted this brazen portrait of Madame Pierre Gautreau with ane of the shoulder straps off her shoulder and exhibited information technology at the Salon of 1884. Ridiculed at the Salon, the piece of work stayed in Sargent's possession for over 30 years until he sold it to the Met maxim it was 'the all-time thing [he] has done.' We agree."

"Expiry of Socrates" (1787) past Jacques Louis David.

Wikimedia Commons

"In this Neoclassical masterpiece, David portrays the moment before Socrates drinks hemlock instead of renouncing his philosophy.Relevant in tumultuous 18th century French republic, relevant at present — choosing to dice for one's belief is a timeless bailiwick."

"Portrait of a Woman with a Man at a Casement" (ca. 1440) by Fra Filippo Lippi.

Wikimedia Commons

"Fifty-fifty though is this the earliest surviving double portrait in Italy, there is something utterly modern most the nearly geometric forms and the mysterious sliver of a human being'south face in the window. Embroidered on the woman's sleeve is the word 'true-blue' (lealta), so is the man her betrothed or a new admirer caller?"

"Buddha of Medicine Bhaishajyaguru (Yaoshi fo)," Yuan Dynasty, (ca. 1319).

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

"This massive wall fresco is a must-see in the Met's outstanding Asian fine art fly. With incredibly fine drawing and subtle coloring, the Buddha of Medicine is surrounded by ii bodhisattvas and twelve warriors. The influence of Buddhism in physical and spiritual healing continues to resonate on today's gimmicky Western culture."

"Bronze Statue of Eros Sleeping," Hellenistic Flow, 3rd­-2nd century BC.

Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

"Who does not dear Eros, the god of love, especially when depicted as an adorable, sleeping boy? The astounding naturalism of aboriginal sculpture wows us even today, especially in the Met'due south electric current exhibition of 'Pergamon' showcasing the marvels of artistic achievement in three centuries between Alexander'southward death, in 323 B.C., and the establishment of the Roman Empire, in the first century B.C."

"The Unicorn is Attacked" (from the Unicorn Tapestries in the Cloisters).

Wikimedia Commons

"Of the entire series in the Unicorn Tapestries, this is the most dramatic—when the hunters attack the Unicorn. Tapestries were the smashing art form of Europe during this fourth dimension and the artistry expressed hither is off the charts. Definitely worth the trip to the Cloisters to experience the magnificence of these works in person."

Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt.

Go along reading