The Met Cloisters are an enchanting museum that manages to feature medieval art in an environment that resembles the times they were created.
Architecture
A Cloister is a covered walk in a monastery or cathedral that has a wall that leads into and an open area/quart yard. The buildings are based around four cloisters, Saint-Guilhem, the Cuxa, Trie and Bonnefont which were dismantled in Europe and brought to New York around 1939.
Garden
The Cloisters feature a couple of gardens. The flowers found in the gardens were found in medieval paintings, food, and medicine to reflect the time period. The curators do this beautifully because it feels like you are transported back in time.
Art
The Artwork at the Cloisters include paintings, sculptures, jewelry, and clothing that use to be in monasteries. My favorite part was seeing the artifacts from people that use to live in this time period. I love the detail for their jewelry, robes, and grails. The statues were also great because they have maintained the integrity of those times and it’s fascinating to imagine how they were made and stand the test of time.
Tapestries
The Tapestries featured in the Cloisters are completely unreal. It’s hard to imagine how it’s humanly possible to create such intricate tapestries. Not only do they look incredible but they are part of a series that tell a story. The ones that stood out to me were the ones that have a unicorn. It’s meant to be a metaphor for something else but I will leave that for you if you visit.
Where to Eat
The Cloisters have one small cafe that has seating around one of the gardens. They have snacks, drinks, sandwiches, fruit and cheese plates. Nothing too big but enough to curb your hunger.
Concerts at the Met Cloisters
Check out the Met Cloisters site for special events including concerts at the Cloisters. The photos look stunning and I can only imagine how this place looks at night.
The Cloisters are a great way to travel back in time and see art in an environment that resembles the time. It is located 30 minutes away from midtown Manhattan and it’s definitely worth the drive.
I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you would like to find more unique things to do in New York click here.
As always, if you have any recommendation of places to go, please share below.
Enjoy!
