365 Days at the Met

 November 5, 2025  I look back at the signage in the introductory gallery of the revamped European painting galleries, including the assertion that the goal is to "draw out the inconsistencies and tattered edges of long-dominant storylines" and to question the assumption that there is a "Western tradition. " One can certainly question the assumption of European superiority - the holdings of the entire museum might lead one to question that assumption.  But to me, it seems incontrovertible that there is  a Western tradition, one shaped first by Christianity, then by changing political, economic, social and intellectual forces: the emergence of strong monarchies and wealthy aristocracies, the rise of the bourgeoisie, the rediscovery of classical antiquity, the Enlightenment, and so on. The Met has done visitors a service by reminding us that  much of the wealth that produced great art was itself the product of colonialism and exploitation  - is that one of th...