Year 1200
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Centennial-Catalogue is Online
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Centennial was a series of events and initiatives celebrating the 100th anniversary of the charter of the Museum occurring between 1969 and 1971.1
One of the major exhibits was “The Year 1200”— characterized at the time as “one of the most important exhibitions ever to be assembled in the Western Hemisphere.” 2
The catalogue, which is available online at the Met’s Watson Library Digital Collections contains 338 entries: 53 for sculpture, 24 for ivories, 123 for metalwork and enamels, 38 for stained glass and 54 for manuscripts.3 To these principal parts of the exhibition smaller sections were added which presented frescoes and mosaics, books, coins, seals, gems and textiles. The greater number of these objects were brought over from the Old World. Even such venerable works as the tomb of Eleanor of Aquitaine from the Abbey at Fontevrault and three enamels from the Altar in Klosterneuburg, found their way to New York and figured at the exhibition as the shining trophies of a zealous and indefatigable art-historical hunt. 4
From October 1969 through January 1971 the Museum organized fifteen three-day tours and fourteen one-day tours of the Museum for groups of members from museums and cultural organizations across the United States. Close to one thousand guests from thirty museums and thirty-five cities participated.
Films were made about various components of the exhibition including, “The Cathedral of Chartres.”
Music was composed for the opening of the exhibit, “Ceremonial Fanfare (For The Year 1200)” by Walter Piston.
Linda Sipress, The History of the Centennial of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. (New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1972).
“1200.” (1970) The Book Collector 19 (summer): 158-168.
Sauerländer, Willibald. “‘The Year 1200,’ a Centennial Exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. February 12-May 10, 1970.” The Art Bulletin 53, no. 4 (1971): 506–16.
THANK you!!! For The Cathedral of Chartres -- magical - 800 years ago.
Today we don't have enough test kits in the US - 1.5 years after pandemic start.
The precious few we have are imported -- from sooo bad China ;-))
I have to stop reading your posts. You contained a link that had me looking at art for six hours, not exploring everything, not even seeing some things I was hoping to see. I have few to no visual skills, but these works spoke to me, pulled me in, held me captive. I have too little time left on earth to spend 90% of it in gorgeous rabbit holes.