The Museum acquires hundreds of works of art each year through gifts and purchases. Often these acquisitions serve to enhance our holdings by a particular artist or of a particular type of object. It is possible to encounter new works of the highest quality in every visit to the Metropolitan.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin periodically dedicates an entire issue to recent acquisitions, often in the fall of each year.
Current Issue: 2008–2010
The magnificent works of art described and illustrated in this issue of the Met's Bulletin are a testament to the Museum's continued commitment to developing its collections, even at a time of economic challenges and volatility. This period saw the acquisition of an unusually large number of outstanding sculptures, dating from as early as 3000 B.C. to the twentieth century. The Museum's holdings were enriched as well by the acquisition of several splendid drawings and a group of stunning paintings. An exceptionally large donation, the promised gift of the Robert A. Ellison Jr. Collection of more than 250 pieces of American art pottery, will have a dramatic impact on the Museum's holdings in that area. Also during this period, the Metropolitan's Costume Institute became the paramount collection of its kind with the transfer to the Museum of more than 23,500 objects from the Brooklyn Museum Costume Collection.
Previous Issues
2007–2008
2006–2007
2005–2006
2004–2005
2003–2004
2002–2003