Metropolitan Museum of Art

New York, New York

The Metropolitan Museum of Art features one original Norman Rockwell painting in its permanent collection.

The Met is not a true Norman Rockwell museum. Its focus is much broader than one very important artist and illustrator.

Of course, the Museum has many other fine works of art in addition to this Norman Rockwell original painting. Such notable artists as Pablo Picasso, Winslow Homer, Claude Monet, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse are all represented in the Museum's collection. The Museum also features other art forms in addition to paintings.

The museum building itself is a beautiful architectural masterpiece also.

Metropolitan Museum of Art: Two Original Norman Rockwell Paintings

The first Norman Rockwell painting in the Museum's collection is a a study of Freedom of Speech, painted in 1942. This was painted several months before his famous Four Freedoms series of paintings was published.

The study of Freedom of Speech is a 21 x 17 inch or 53.5 x 43 cm oil on composition board. This version of Freedom of Speech has only been published in Norman Rockwell: A Sixty Year Retrospective by Thomas Buechner on page 86 and in Norman Rockwell, A Definitive Catalogue by Laurie Norton Moffatt on page 769.

An alternate title for the painting is Town Meeting.

It was donated to the Met in 1952 by the George A. Hearn Fund.

The second Norman Rockwell painting in the Museum's collection is a study for Lion and Zookeeper, painted in 1954.

The study of Lion and Zookeeper is a 10.75 x 11.125 inch or 27.3 x 28.3 cm oil on paper painting.

This study is not published in any Rockwell commentary books.

This painting was donated by Continental Group in 1981.

Neither of the two Rockwell works are currently available for public viewing. Nonetheless, the Met Museum is definitely worth a visit anytime you are in New York City. Visiting the Met is even worth planning a vacation in New York around.

About The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Museum hours are as follows –
Mondays: closed except open on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Presidents' Day and Memorial Day.
Tuesdays,Wednesdays and Thursday: open 9:30 a.m til 5:30 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays: open 9:30 a.m. til 9:00 p.m.
Sundays: open 9:30 a.m. til 5:30 p.m.
The Met is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Admission is very reasonable for a museum of this size. Adult admission is $20, seniors admission is $15 and students admission is $10. Children under 12 are admitted free with an adult. Museum members' admission is free every day.

Metropolitan Museum of Art
1000 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York 10028

Phone (212) 535-7710

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