Metropolitan Museum of Art

In 1866, a group of businessmen and philanthropists decided to organize a national art gallery, and in 1872 a small building on Fifth Avenue opened its doors for the first visitors. The first exhibits were paintings by European artists purchased by the organizers of the exhibition in Paris and Brussels.

Gradually, a special building for the museum was built on the territory of Central Park, which grew and expanded every year, eventually turning into a whole architectural complex.

Speaking about the collection, it is worth saying that despite the fact that the Metropolitan Museum is a collection of works of world art, so characteristic of Americans patriotism is very strongly manifested here.

Most of the exhibits of the museum came from private collectors who sought to bring knowledge about art to the people. So, by the 30s of the twentieth century, the Metropolitan Museum became the owner of the largest collection of works of Western European artists in America, including works by Titian, Rembrandt, Botticelli, Goya, El Greco and many others.

Today, the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art store more than two million works of art, making up a huge number of diverse collections, which are simply impossible to list in one line. But it is safe to say that there are no such historical periods and art trends that you would not find in the Metropolitan Museum. Visiting it makes it clear why America is so proud of it.