Ongoing
The Met
The exhibition Cycladic Art: The Leonard N. Stern Collection on Loan from the Hellenic Republic offers a remarkable journey into the rich artistic heritage of the Early Bronze Age Cycladic civilization. Hosted at The Met Fifth Avenue, this presentation is the fruit of a historic 50-year collaboration between The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Ministry of Culture of the Hellenic Republic, and the Museum of Cycladic Art in Athens, with official approval granted by the Greek Parliament in 2022. It features 161 exquisite marble sculptures and vessels collected over four decades by the philanthropist Leonard N. Stern, now on long-term loan from the Greek government.
Recognized as the most comprehensive private collection of Cycladic art formed outside Greece, the works in this exhibition encompass nearly all major types of Cycladic marble figures and vessels. Visitors have the unique opportunity to closely explore the subtle variations and delicate nuances that Cycladic sculptors infused into their creations over more than a millennium. This serves as an invaluable window into one of the world’s earliest and most enigmatic artistic cultures, highlighting its aesthetic sophistication and cultural significance.
This exhibition not only allows international audiences to appreciate these ancient masterpieces firsthand but also represents an innovative approach to cultural repatriation. By bringing these artworks to a global stage while returning them to Greece under a cooperative framework, the exhibition fosters international dialogue and scholarship, furthering our understanding of early Cycladic art and its enduring legacy.
For scholars, art lovers, and the general public alike, this rare assembly of Cycladic antiquities, including marble figures such as the famed female idols and intricately crafted vessels, reveals the profound artistic achievements of the Aegean islands during the Early Bronze Age. The exhibition’s thoughtful curation underscores the historical context and artistic mastery of Cycladic artists, who expressed both simplicity and abstract elegance through their forms.
To explore this extraordinary collection and learn more about the exhibition, please visit the official page at The Met’s Cycladic Art Exhibition.
