About this experience
The Metropolitan Museum holds a worthy place among the world's leading museums. I have been to many of them and can confidently say that it is the most systematic and understandable. We will take a real journey through the eras: you will enter Ancient Egypt and Antiquity, the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, the world of Romanticism and Impressionism. I will teach you to distinguish artistic styles and writing techniques.
What to Expect
Ancient Egypt
The local Egyptian collection is the second most significant in the world after the Cairo Museum. Drawing on it, I will tell you about the family life of pharaohs, intrigues and tragedies in palace halls. I will show ancient frescoes, Fayum portraits, Pharaohs' gold, and details of a real Egyptian temple. I will share stories about European expansion in Egypt and the afterlife. I will reveal how palaces were built in Ancient Egypt and who became the pharaoh's last wife.
Ancient Greece
From Egypt, we will move to Ancient Greece. We will talk about the Cycladic figurines, the Minotaur, and the fall of the Minoan-Mycenaean civilization. You will decipher the features of beautiful Greek sculpture, uncover details of the Trojan War, and learn to distinguish architectural orders. You will learn about Greek democracy, aristocracy, philosophy, and theater. And all this will be skillfully mixed with the fairy-tale-erotic mythology of ancient Greeks.
Ancient Rome
From Ancient Greece through the fall of Troy, we will arrive in Ancient Rome. We will discuss its great rises and terrible upheavals. You will hear how Roman democracy contributed to art and how it fell before Greek culture. You will look into the eyes of Caligula, learn about Emperor Hadrian's great love, and get acquainted with unique items from the Demidov collection — I will tell you how they are connected to Ancient Rome.
From the Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance
You will immerse yourself in the Dark Ages of the Middle Ages. You will learn why Byzantium is a myth, how long the Roman Empire actually existed, how art returned to humanity, and how the Renaissance emerged. You will appreciate the works of Giotto, admire the masterpieces of Botticelli, and remember the times of Savonarola in Florence.
European Renaissance, Romanticism, and Impressionism
You will meet the geniuses of the Northern Renaissance: from Dürer and Cranach to Holbein and Bosch. You will see the world's first double portrait and learn how a painting saved the life of the Saxon ruler. You will study Rembrandt's writing technique, see 5 masterpieces by Vermeer, appreciate the innovation of El Greco and Rubens' works. You will hear how art developed in England and how Velázquez depicted the Spanish court. And then, through Tintoretto's 3D paintings, you will dive into the Napoleonic Wars of the 19th century. In conclusion, you will admire the masterpieces of Romanticism and Impressionism.
Organizational Details
Tickets for 1-3 people are free. Entrance tickets for the 4th and subsequent participants are additionally paid at a preferential price — $5 per person.
