The Cloisters Museum is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. It has a rich collection of medieval European art and architecture, with special attention paid to the Romanesque and Gothic periods. ""The Altar of Merode", a series of 7 tapestries "The Hunt for the Unicorn" by Robert Campin are considered the most significant exhibits.
History of creation
John Davison Rockefeller Jr. allocated funds for the opening of a museum styled like a medieval castle and a 1.5-hectare park around it. A square tower has been erected above the main entrance. Most of the philanthropist's medieval art collection was donated to the institution. The construction work took 4 years, and in 1938 the Cloisters Museum opened its doors to visitors. Currently, the museum's park area is 26 hectares, the site was expanded with money from Rockefeller Jr. Additionally, he bought 290 hectares of land opposite the museum across the Hudson River, and this allowed him to preserve the view of the cultural heritage site.
Short description
The Cloisters Museum building on a steep hill, consisting of the upper and lower levels, was designed by architect Charles Collance. It houses gardens, chapels, and themed galleries. The atmosphere is reminiscent of the monastic lifestyle in medieval Europe. There are legends about the scale of the Cloisters Museum's collection. It is represented by more than 5,000 works of Romanesque and Gothic art. You can travel back in time by studying paintings, ivory, stained glass, tapestries and sculptures.
The exhibition contains artifacts of medieval art from Western Europe. One can understand what the interior of monasteries and abbeys in France looked like. The collection of stained glass windows consists of 300 panels, which mostly date from the periods between the 13th and 16th centuries. The 12th-century gallery of Saint-Michel-de-Cooks is located in the open air, surrounded by architectural elements made of pink marble. There are 9 exhibition rooms inside the building, in which the exhibits are arranged in chronological order.
How to get
The Cloisters Museum is located on the north hill of Manhattan in Washington Heights. You can take the Line A train and take the subway to the 190th Street station. You need to go through Fort Tryon Park, following the signs, the journey will take about 10 minutes. The M4 bus reaches the entrance to the museum, the stop is called "The Cloisters". It takes 40 minutes to drive from Midtown. You can take a taxi or use carsharing services. Visitors with disabilities can park at the Cloisters Museum. There is free parking next to the park, where you can park your car during the tour.
Gallery
