November Book-of-the-Month: Period Rooms in the Metropolitan Museum of Art

I live in Groveland, FL — it’s near Orlando. I used to live a hop, skip and a jump from New York City and how I got here is a story for another day…but suffice it to say, I miss NYC like no one’s business. One of the best amenities there is the multitude of beautiful museums to visit. A fave was always the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Countless hours were spent just getting lost within all its treasures. Imagine my happiness to find our book of the month, Period Rooms in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and relive a bit of those magical moments.

The book was released in 1996 and through sumptuous photographs and text, gives a grand tour of thirty-four room installations. These rooms give superb examples of interior design throughout the ages — from an ancient Roman bedroom excavated near Pompeii to eighteenth-century French and English parlors to early nineteenth century American libraries. Some of the rooms have actually been taken from historic buildings and some are authentic recreations. (The recreations spark healthy debates among scholars and decorative arts experts.) According to their website, this particular wing opened up again this past spring after two years of renovations — so if you were to go today, you’d have an even more enjoyable experience. Here are some visuals, as photographed by Karin L. Willis.

(Above) The Boscoreale Room: A well-preserved Roman bedroom with fresco paintings. Timeline: 40 – 30 B.C.

(Above) On the left is the Parisian Crillon Room. To see a close-up of the decorative painting, click here. Timeline: 1777-80. On the right is the Sagredo Bedroom from the Palazzo Sagredo in Venice. Timeline: 1718. [I'm not sure I could sleep there -- way too much to look at!]

(Above) The Kirtlington Park Room: Oxfordshire Dining Room, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful Rococo rooms from England. The plasterwork was executed by artisan Thomas Roberts. Timeline: 1748.

(Above) The Gubbio Studiolo: A small study retreat from Gubbio, Italy. The fantastic realization about this gorgeous trompe l’oeil work is that it is not painted at all. It is Perspective Intarsia, a Florentine Renaissance technique that creates a continuous illusion by wooden inlays. Different colors of wood provide different shadings. [!!!!] A closeup can be seen here.

(Above) The Van Rensselaer Hall: An entrance hall built in pre-Revolutionary America.The wallcovering is wallpaper handpainted in tempera. Timeline: 1765-69.

(Above) The Nur al-Din Room: Originally from Damascus, research has not produced precise information on its provenance. It is twenty-two feet high, twenty-six feet long and sixteen feet wide and took three years to install.

I hope you’ve enjoyed the visuals — the book has so many more in addition to thorough information on each of the design styles. Truly enjoyable. I do hope you consider looking into it. Until next time, dear Readers!