The Metropolitan Museum of Art (also known as “The Met”) is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Located in New York City, it houses an extensive collection of more than two million works from around the world, spanning over 5,000 years of history. The museum is a major cultural attraction in NYC and a treasure trove for art lovers.
Since its founding in 1870, the museum has been overseen by a series of directors. Most recently, Max Hollein was appointed Director and CEO in June 2018.
He succeeded Thomas P. Campbell who had served as Director since 2008. Before Campbell, Philippe de Montebello served as Director for 31 years from 1977 to 2008.
During his tenure, de Montebello oversaw the renovation of numerous galleries and oversaw a major expansion project that doubled the museum’s exhibition space to 400,000 square feet. He also increased public access to the museum by creating a partnership with Google Earth to bring parts of The Met’s collection online for virtual visitors around the world. De Montebello was also an advocate for ensuring access to digital images of artwork from various institutions across the globe.
Philippe de Montebello was born in New York City on October 31st 1936, and grew up with a passion for art and history which eventually led him to study at Harvard University where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Fine Arts and History in 1958.
De Montebello began his career at The Met as an intern during college before becoming Curator of European Paintings ten years later. In 1977 he was appointed Director and served until retiring in 2008.
Throughout his tenure he worked tirelessly to ensure The Met remains one of the top art museums in the world. He was also made an honorary knight by Queen Elizabeth II for his commitment to preserving culture and fostering international collaboration among museums.
Philippe de Montebello is renowned for his innovative leadership at The Met, having steered it through immense growth over three decades while maintaining its status as one of the most respected art institutions worldwide.
In conclusion, Philippe de Montebello is remembered fondly as the former director of The Metropolitan Museum of Art who worked diligently to make it one of the best art museums ever seen throughout history.