Customer Reviews

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

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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.