Inside the Giant

When I entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, I was overwhelmed by the sheer size of the building. Not to mention, there was art scattered everywhere. Not just conventionally hung on the wall, but everywhere. There were sculptures and statues in every corner of the grand entrance way and on every desk or near every window. Due to the fact that we just did not have enough time to see the whole Met, we had to pick a few rooms to view. The first room we chose was in the American wing and had hundreds of portraits along the walls and in long aisles. They were portraits of men, women and children and each one was unique. Some people were smiling, others were not, and their style and expression radiated throughout the paintings. However, this room did not interest me as much as the next room we ventured in, which was the armor and arms room.

Here there were actual suits of armor, shields, swords, and guns from all ages and moments in time. My favorite collection was that of the guns. I had no idea how much detail could be put into a weapon. The triggers were often sculpted pieces of art, from models of castles, to replicas of squirrels. It was the style and practice of the time to show off your weaponry and the most decorated ones were the most prized. I could not imagine using one of those guns in battle. Seeing the pieces opened my mind to what art could be and is. Art is more than flat paintings, 3-D sculptures, music, or movies. It is also the things in our lives that artists take the time to shape and adorn with beautiful images representing a piece of history or an emotion.