The Met

Emily Sargent captured the world with a clarity and quiet confidence that was all her own. This intimate exhibition brings together recently rediscovered watercolors from the Museum’s collection, revealing her singular artistic voice within the creative and complex world of the Sargent family. Featuring works alongside those of her brother, John Singer Sargent, the show traces a shared legacy while illuminating the distinct paths their artistic lives would take. 📣 Last chance! See "Emily Sargent: Portrait of a Family" at The Met through March 8. ——— #WomensHistoryMonth

Conservation fellow James Hughes has the blues. 💙 During his fellowship, Hughes researched Yves Klein’s “Blue Venus” sculpture, a plaster cast painted with the artist’s complex and unique pigment system, International Klein Blue, which presented several interesting conservation challenges. Hughes' treatment involved exploring the materials and techniques that honor the work’s most important visual qualities—color and texture—in preparation for its eventual installation in the galleries. ___ Yves Klein (French, Nice 1928–1962 Paris), “Blue Venus,” ca. 1961. Paint on plaster. © Succession Yves Klein c/o Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 2026.

Meet Jeffrey Gibson, the artist behind The Genesis Facade Commission! These four sculptures are the very first large-scale bronze sculptures Gibson has ever made for the outdoors. This commission invites reflection on the interconnected relationships between all living beings and the environment. See “The Animal That Therefore I Am” on view through June 9, 2026. #MetJeffreyGibson The exhibition is presented by Genesis.

The artist, educator, and activist Benny Andrews is remembered today for his intimate portraiture and fantastical scenes of American life. Andrews co-founded the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC) in response to The Met's controversial 1969 exhibition "Harlem on My Mind." The group challenged the authority of mainstream cultural institutions and helped establish alternative arts-education programs in correctional facilities across the country. This rarely seen documentary captures Andrews in candid conversation about funding in the arts, increasing access to higher education for underserved communities, and what it means to “make it” as an artist in America. Check out the full documentary on YouTube.

Gẹ̀lẹ̀dẹ́ is an art form that recognizes and celebrates the power of women. Join curator Alisa LaGamma and special guest Angélique Kidjo (@angelique_kidjo) to celebrate the renovation and reopening of the Arts of Africa galleries in the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing. Staged in the marketplace, where women are an economic powerhouse, this theatrical genre is believed to have originated in the Ketu region bordering present-day Nigeria and Benin during the eighteenth century.

Nancy Rosin, a Drawings and Prints Volunteer Cataloguer of The Met’s historical Valentines for the past decade, speaks the language of flowers. This Victorian-era dialect of devotion allowed lovers to privately express affection. “The rose is the most important because it signifies deep, passionate, abiding love,” says Nancy. “But of course, there are different colors of roses in different shades, and so every shade has a different meaning.” The popularity of this secret language can be seen in the coded messages on some of the valentines in The Met collection. Each floral accent reflects a personal message of admiration. Share the gift of art this Valentine’s Day with our British Valentine Vermeil Locket and Earrings. Delicately decorated with garnet and cultured freshwater pearl accents, the romantic floral motif on this functional gold vermeil locket evokes a British valentine produced around 1875. Shop the collection now at The Met Store, online and in-store. Plus, learn more about the secret language of flowers in the new article by Nancy Rosin, published on metmuseum.org.

Are 💬 these 🗣️ the 🤔 original ✨ emoji-filled 👾 chaintexts? 📱 A rebus is a puzzle that uses pictures to represent words or parts of words. The reader must figure out what each image stands for and combine it with letters to understand the message. For centuries, these puzzles were a popular form of expression, often used as playful tokens of love and affection—many were even sent as valentines!

Art? Music? Two-for-one drinks? Say no more—we’ve got the perfect Valentine's date for you.💖   Every Friday and Saturday night until 9 pm, it’s Date Night at The Met Fifth Avenue.   Plan your visit today: met.org/DateNight

Join us this Saturday, February 7 for our annual Lunar New Year festival! 🎊🐴 Celebrate the Year of the Horse, one of the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac, with performances, interactive activities, and artist-led workshops for all ages. All activities are free with Museum admission (pay-what-you-wish for New York residents). No registration is required. #MetLunar

Meet Moe, the Design intern. 👋 Moe interned in The Met's Design Department, a cross-disciplinary team representing Exhibition, Graphic, and Lighting Design; Production and Project Management. Fall internship applications open mid-March, 2026, and close May 13, 2026.

Happy birthday, Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau, and welcome back! 🎉   After a long trip to Paris, where John Singer Sargent spent a remarkable decade, our beloved "Madame X" has finally returned to the American Wing at The Met.   First shown at the 1884 Salon, the painting received a controversial reception because of Gautreau’s reputation and appearance, which challenged the conventions of French society at the time. However, Sargent later called the painting “the best thing I have done,” and today it stands as an icon in The Met’s collection. ___ John Singer Sargent (American, 1856-1925). Madame X (Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau), 1883-84. Oil on canvas. On view in Gallery 771.

How do you conserve an object that's over 500 years old? 🤔   At The Met Cloisters, medieval sculptures like this late-15th-century "Saint Sebastian" challenged Principal Conservator Lucretia Kargere to look closely and carefully. Carved from a single massive block of poplar wood, it’s a rare survivor of five centuries, missing the arrows and wooden support that once defined his martyrdom.   See this sculpture in "Spectrum of Desire: Love, Sex, and Gender in the Middle Ages" on view at The Met Cloisters through March 29. ——— "Saint Sebastian," late 15th century. Northern European. European poplar, paint, gesso.   Possibly after a model by Pietro Tacca (Italian, Carrara 1577–1640 Florence), "Saint Sebastian," statuette: 17th century; trunk: 19th century or later. Bronze, fire-gilt, on later patinated bronze trunk.   Alexandre-Louis-Marie Charpentier (French, Paris 1856–1909 Neuilly), "Martydom of Saint Sebastian," before 1897. Bronze, cast, single.   Honoré Daumier (French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois), "Saint Sebastian," 1849–50. Charcoal on wove paper.   Martin Schongauer (German, Colmar ca. 1435/50–1491 Breisach), "Saint Sebastian," 1470–1491. Engraving.

Meet Linsen Chai, the exhibition designer behind "Man Ray: When Objects Dream."   When entering an exhibition, our attention is often drawn first to the artworks themselves. We rarely notice that the paths we walk on, the spots where we pause, the transitions between spaces, and even the color and material of the floor are all the result of meticulous design. This experience is made possible by the exhibition design team working behind the scenes.   🖼️ See "Man Ray: When Objects Dream" through February 1. #MuseumCareers #Architecture

📣 Announcing the MetLiveArts Spring 2026 season!  MetLiveArts brings The Met collection to life through bold, boundary-pushing performances that forge unexpected connections across genres and mediums.    This spring…   🎻 Hear musical instruments from The Met collection 💃 Celebrate the newly reimagined Africa and Oceania galleries with music, dance, and storytelling 🎨 Experience performance in dialogue with newly reinstalled European paintings and favorite works from the American Wing   …and much more.   We hope to see you soon! #MetLiveArts

Helene Schjerfbeck titled this portrait “The Lace Shawl” for the black lace shawl worn by Sigrid Nyberg, her landlady in coastal Finland. As Schjerfbeck increasingly simplified her subjects, she intensified her process, testing the medium itself through careful addition and subtraction of paint. "The Lace Shawl" reflects her deep interest in materiality and the expressive power of restraint. “Seeing Silence: The Paintings of Helene Schjerfbeck” is on view through April 5, 2026. ___ 🖼️ Helene Schjerfbeck (Finnish, Helsinki 1862–1946 Saltsjöbaden), “The Lace Shawl,” 1920. Oil on canvas.