SAR HS students in Ora Meier’s AP art history class visited the Ancient Near East, Ancient Egyptian and Ancient Greek and Roman wings of the Metropolitan Museum. The visit focused on comparing each cultures funerary practices, materials and representations of political rulers and deities. It is a gift to have the opportunity to visit the Temple of Dendur, examine a variety of Hatshepsut sculptures and two mummies from Egypt, as part of the study of Ancient Egypt. The class also enjoyed viewing the Met’s impressive classical sculpture and fresco collection. Most importantly, students had the opportunity to practice their formal analysis skills with original works of art.

Yoni Perla, one of the seniors in the class, reflected on how studying AP art history helped him understand the Met’s curatorial decisions: “I understand a lot more about the architecture and design of the Met’s exhibits after studying certain pieces. I know why the Met made the curating decisions that they did.”

The visit ended on the museum’s roof, visiting the site-specific installation by Pakistani artist Huma Bhabha.

The class looks forward to upcoming trips to the Cloister’s, the Frick and the MoMA later this year.