I really didn’t follow the Metropolitan Museum’s horse race to see who would replace Philippe de Montebello as director, but I find myself caring deeply that it’s tapestry curator Thomas Campbell.
Campbell’s two shows on Renaissance and Baroque tapestries in 2002 and 2007 respectively, were some of the most unexpectedly spectacular and intelligent exhibitions I’ve ever seen. The Renaissance show was quite moving, even, which still surprises me.
So given all the possible museum world follies that could have befallen the selection, it feels very heartening that the museum has chosen someone with curatorial depth and scholarship, who’s able to make highly relevant cases for even seemingly secondary arts, and to put on truly beautiful, important shows.
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the making of, by greg allen