When you think about climbing to one of the highest points in Manhattan what comes to mind? Surely it’s a skyscraper. Maybe, the Empire State Building or the Chrysler Building? Those are definitely on the list. But I have recently learned also on the list of natural locations that are also one of the highest points in northern Manhattan is the Cloisters, a place I have been wanting to visit (http://thequeenoff-ckingeverything.blogspot.com/2012_04_01_archive.html).
The Cloisters are now
owned and operated in conjunction with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Although
they are not physically right near one another, there are similarities. While
the museum has many collections of various kinds of objects from many eras, the
Cloisters too share a history of art, culture, and artifacts. You get to move
about this large castle like structure viewing these items all while transcending
time and space. Since you are not in a stuffy museum the entire feel of the art
is different. The layout is more like it would be if someone where living there
and you happen upon it while no one was home. The rooms where the tapestries
hang were just right. The brightly colored stain glass windows illuminate the
gold sculptures set up beneath them.
These are some of my
favorite pieces:
There are also a few
external grounds where gardens can be viewed through open archways adding more
space and light where they lay. While they aren’t particularly impressive by
themselves the greenery is a nice splash of color against the metal and
materials that lay around this building as if holding the gardens back to
prevent them from growing up and out.
In 1938 this building and
gardens opened to the public. Some of the collection was originally started by
an American sculptor and avid art collector George Gray Barnard. John D. Rockefeller Jr. acquired the
Cloisters from Barnard in 1925 and in 1927 purchased the land they now reside
in.
According to the website:
“In addition to financing
the conversion of 66.5 acres of land just north of Barnard’s museum into a
public park, which would house the new museum, Rockefeller donated 700
additional acres across the Hudson River to the state of New Jersey to ensure
that no developments on the property would spoil the view from The Cloisters.
In addition to providing the grounds and building to house the Barnard
collection, Rockefeller contributed works of art from his own collection—including
the celebrated Unicorn Tapestries—and established an endowment for operations
and future acquisitions.”
The infamous Unicorn
Tapestries:
Well Mr. Rockefeller was a
genius, a generous genius at that. He was right. The best views lie across from
the Cloisters. By preventing further land development these views have been
uninterrupted for approximately eighty five years. There is no end in sight
which is a wonderful thing considering what a lovely sight it is.
For your trip:
(For those of you who will
be driving, please note there is free parking in a lot adjacent to the
structure.)
(If
you have time when you visit Fort Tryon Park is nearby and the Olmstead house
in the park offers tours.)
Comments
Post a Comment