Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City, a major art museum, is currently newsworthy due to two significant events. First, the Met is hosting a large-scale exhibition dedicated to the Renaissance artist Raphael, titled "Rafael: poesía sublime." This exhibition, the first major retrospective of Raphael's work in the United States, involved over seven years of preparation and loans from numerous international museums and private collections. Second, the Met was involved in the repatriation of looted artifacts to Turkey. A bronze statue of a Roman emperor and a marble head of a Greek orator, both determined to have been illegally excavated from Turkish sites, were returned to Turkey in a formal ceremony. These events highlight the Met's role in both showcasing significant artistic achievements and addressing issues related to cultural heritage and the illicit antiquities trade.