Philippe de Montebello and The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1977-2008

In this unusual glimpse into the Metropolitan Museum, members of curatorial and other key departments describe Philippe de Montebello’s impact on their activities during the thirty-one years of his directorship. The transformations that took place during his tenure are astonishing: countless numbers of the museum’s finest works familiar to visitors today were acquired, galleries were redesigned, additions were constructed, and new approaches for bringing the arts to the public were developed. De Montebello’s unwavering pursuit of excellence, support for scholarship and curatorial initiative, organizational grasp, and flashes of humor inform this fascinating collection of stories that illustrate the challenges and triumphs of one of the world’s greatest art museums.