Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977-2008 [Hardcover]

James R. Houghton (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2009 | Series: Metropolitan Museum of Art

In this unusual glimpse into the Metropolitan Museum, members of curatorial and other key departments describe Philippe de Montebello’s impact on their activities during the thirty-one years of his directorship. The transformations that took place during his tenure are astonishing: countless numbers of the museum’s finest works familiar to visitors today were acquired, galleries were redesigned, additions were constructed, and new approaches for bringing the arts to the public were developed. De Montebello’s unwavering pursuit of excellence, support for scholarship and curatorial initiative, organizational grasp, and flashes of humor inform this fascinating collection of stories that illustrate the challenges and triumphs of one of the world’s greatest art museums.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

James R. Houghton is Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 184 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (October 19, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300154240
• ISBN-13: 978-0300154245
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 9.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #874,024 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting overview of the work of a great director, November 1, 2009

By 

Ivor E. Zetler (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977-2008 (Hardcover)

This book is meant as an overview of the career of Philippe de Montebello, the longest standing director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (1977-2008). Essentially the contents consist of a series of brief articles (around 5-10 pages) by various departmental curators e.g. antiquity, American art, musical instruments, arms and armor, Islamic art, costume etc. There is coverage of acquisitions, exhibitions and developments occuring during this time within the various departments. Additionally there are many beautiful reproductions of related artworks, installations and views of different sections of the museum. There are also a number of photographs of de Montebello.

Living in the antipodes, I cannot claim any particular intimate knowledge of the Metropolitan Museum apart from an occasional visit and the possession of many of the excellent publications emanating from this institution. By all accounts de Montebello was a great director and his sucessor Thomas Campbell has very large shoes to fill. This book covers de Montebello's achievements at the Metropolitan Museum in a factual manner. It would be interesting to have an account of his memoirs some day. I doubt if it would be as revelatory, racy and gossipy as the engrossing "Making the Mummies Dance" written by his predecessor,Thomas Hoving.

This volume, which comes without a dustcover, is beautifully presented and printed. I enjoyed it despite my relative remoteness to this august institution. Regulars of the Metropolitan should lap it up.