The Metropolitan Museum of Art, commonly referred to simply as the Met, is one of the world’s most renowned art museums. It is located in New York City along Fifth Avenue and houses an impressive collection of artwork from different cultures and eras. But who founded the Metropolitan Museum of Art?
The Met was founded in 1870 by a group of people who were passionate about promoting art and culture. These individuals included John Taylor Johnston, a railroad executive; William Maverick Chapin; Eugene Benson; Robert L. Stuart; financiers JP Morgan and Leonard Jerome; real estate brokers Henry Gurdon Marquand and Benjamin Wistar Morris; lawyer Joseph Harrison, Jr.; philanthropist David H. King, Jr.; artists Asher B. Durand and John Frederick Kensett; architect Richard Morris Hunt; and art historian Professor Charles Eliot Norton.
The founders had originally wanted to build a museum that showcased American art, but it soon expanded to include works from all over the world. The museum was first opened to the public in 1872 with an exhibition featuring plaster casts from ancient Greek sculptures. Since then, it has grown significantly and now hosts over 5 million visitors annually.
Conclusion
John Taylor Johnston, William Maverick Chapin, Eugene Benson, Robert L. Stuart, JP Morgan, Leonard Jerome, Henry Gurdon Marquand, Benjamin Wistar Morris, Joseph Harrison Jr., David H. King Jr., Asher B. Durand, John Frederick Kensett, Richard Morris Hunt and Professor Charles Eliot Norton are credited with founding the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1870.