Fortunately undeterred by the impossibility of exhibiting even a few of the frescoes from the convent's 58 dormitory cells -- generally recognized as among the world's great art masterpieces -- or moving the painter-monk's larger altarpieces, New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art has nonetheless mounted the first major survey in 50 years of his smaller works (as well as a number by his closest associates) to commemorate the 550th anniversary of the artist's death. Recently discoveredworks, new identifications, never-before-exhibited paintings and reconstructed altarpiece groupings -- some reunited for the first time -- add to the exhibition's excitement and groundbreaking importance.
Of course the Washingtonian in me can't help but highlight this little note:
Washington viewers used to the stunningly handsome exhibitions at the National Gallery of Art and other museums will note the unfortunately unimaginative manner in which these great works are displayed.I'll just assume this is not The Met's directors editorializing on Christianity and conclude: We're better than New Yo -ork, We're better than New Yo-ork. Go here to see one of my favorite Fra Angelicos.
