The American Wing at the Met: Peachy Deegan Loves the Clean, Modern Presentation!

This morning, Peachy Deegan saw the brand-new courtyard of the American Wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art! It is much more open than the previous layout, more modern, more statuesque and boasts a cleaner presentation.

Whom You Know first covered this:
http://www.whomyouknow.com/2009/05/new-american-wing-galleries-open-may-19.html

Perched in the center of the court is Diana: She is Simple, Elegant, Has Sharp Lines and is a Strong Silhouette overseeing her court. The current design was cast in 1928 and is half the size of the original. The original, cast in 1892-93, made 5 feet shorter in 1894 used to top Madison Square Garden as a weathervane.

The lovely pair of torcheres return (Richardson and Hunt ca. 1902) to court, and they used to grace the Fifth Avenue entrance of the museum. The balconies are open as well.

In addition to the masterpiece by Louis Comfort Tiffany, Peachy's favorite part of this area are the three bears (Paul Manship, 1963) which are derived from three separate bears at the Bronx Zoo in statue form. They have ventured from the center of the courtyard to the cafe, (such smart bears!) and Peachy Deegan thinks they wanted to share her sandwich! No problem...

These galleries open May 19 to the public! The rest of the American Wing will be open in 2011.