Courtyards, Period Rooms, and Maelstroms...Oh, My!

On a recent Friday afternoon, I finally had the opportunity to head over to the Met to see the newly-completed phase two of the American wing renovation: the Charles Engelhard Court and the American Period Rooms.

Two of the Met’s most beloved staples, the Court and Period Rooms have been under construction for nearly two years. They were finally unveiled this May with the promise that the wait was worthwhile, and, after visiting, I wholeheartedly agree.

Upon entering the Engelhard Court, a friend and I were immediately met with the open, light-filled space for which the pavilion has always been so well known. Yet the post-renovation Court looked even brighter and more impressive than ever before. Light streamed into the majestic space via floor-to-ceiling glass paneling, highlighting the Court’s newly-displayed sculptures, stained glass, and sweeping columns.

On the new main level is the beautiful loggia that Louis Comfort Tiffany designed for his Laurelton Hall estate, while a lower level features the front façade of Martin E. Thompson’s Branch Bank of the United States, which was originally located on Wall Street. Surrounding each of these impressive fixtures is a sculpture collection featuring the works of such renowned American sculptors as Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Paul Manship, and Hiram Powers. Daniel Chester French’s famed Milmore and Melvin memorials are now on the main floor, as are two bronze fountains that are part of the pool’s redesign.

Meanwhile, in the balcony galleries, the museum’s collection of American jewelry, glass, ceramics, silver, and more is brilliantly displayed. There is jewelry by Tiffany & Co., including a flowered coral brooch and earring set that I absolutely loved, silver household pieces by Paul Revere, Jr., and over 200 pieces of pottery that have never before been displayed to the public.

As we made our way from the Court to the Period Rooms, I was impressed by how fluid the setup was, with the Court leading into the Period Rooms, which then very naturally led into one another. Twelve rooms have been completely renovated, and a total of nineteen are now on display. Some of my favorites include the Samuel Hart room from 1680 Ipswich, MA, with its low-beamed ceilings and red, canopied bed; the elegant Baltimore Dining Room from 1810 Baltimore, MD; and the Gothic Revival Library from 1859 Newburgh, NY.

Each period room is like a three-dimensional snapshot of a particular time in American history, providing a fascinating glimpse into the lives and styles of the people who once frequented them. I enjoyed slipping into each and imagining what it would have been like to live in, say, the quaint New York Dutch Room, or the stately Verplanck Room. I also enjoyed picking out which pieces of art, furniture, and décor I would like for my own, a task that was greatly aided by the new touch-screen computers installed in each room, providing information about all of the room’s contents at the touch of a button.

After wandering through the Court and Period Rooms for well over an hour, we discovered that it was just after 5 p.m.—the perfect time for a happy hour drink in the Met’s roof garden. We made our way upstairs and found that we were not the only ones who had been lured by the idea of sipping martinis while overlooking Central Park. The sun-soaked roof was packed with visitors eager to welcome in the weekend, to the point where I wasn’t sure if the term Maelstrom referred to the web-like stainless-steel sculpture by Roxy Paine that was sprawled across the roof, or the people who were crowded around, under, and within it. We took a quick walk around the sculpture, gleaming impressively in the early evening sunlight, discovered that there was very little empty space and lots of smokers, and decided to take our happy hour celebration elsewhere.

Despite our disappointment with the roof garden, however, the American Wing left us impressed and inspired—and very eager for the unveiling of the new American Paintings and Sculpture Galleries, scheduled to open in 2011.