a watercolor and graphite painting of an Indigenous man in profile
THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART BULLETIN | VOLUME 81 | NUMBER 4

Leadership and Society

Various authors
2024
48 pages
42 illustrations
8.5 x 11 in
View More Publication Info

This timely issue of the Bulletin brings together fourteen voices from across curatorial departments and Met Trustees to consider how artists and cultures throughout history have explored the nature of leadership, interrogated the workings of society, and redefined the ideals of freedom and democracy. The essays in this issue center around one of three different themes: the ways societies are formed through collective collaboration, the symbols of leadership and civilization, and the images of leaders that commemorate, mythologize, or even obscure those who govern. By expanding worldviews and building bridges among disparate experiences, The Met plays a vital part in considering the definition of leadership and what it means to build a society. This volume asserts museums’ roles as keepers of histories and places of reflection and learning. As stewards of five thousand years of art from around the globe, The Met is privileged to preserve, share, and reevaluate the countless stories told by the objects in its collection while connecting them to the present day.

False Door of the Royal Sealer Neferiu, Limestone, paint
ca. 2150–2010 B.C.
Heqanahkt Letter II, Papyrus, ink
ca. 1961–1917 B.C.
Molded plaque: king or a god carrying a mace, Ceramic, Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian
Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian
ca. 2000–1700 BCE
Molded plaque: bull-men flanking a tree trunk surmounted by a sun disc, Ceramic, Babylonian
Babylonian
ca. 2000–1600 BCE
Molded plaque: bearded underworld god, Ceramic, Babylonian
Babylonian
ca. 2000–1600 BCE
Molded plaque: couple, Ceramic, Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian
Isin-Larsa–Old Babylonian
ca. 2000–1700 BCE
Coexistencia (Coexistence), Donna Conlon, Single-channel digital video, color, sound, 5 min., 26 sec.
Donna Conlon
2003
White Flag, Jasper Johns  American, Encaustic, oil, newsprint, and charcoal on canvas
Jasper Johns
1955
Civil Garb of the French Citizen, Jacques Louis David  French, Etching
Jacques Louis David
Baron Dominique Vivant Denon
1794
A Member of the Institute, Jean-Baptiste Regnault  French, Pen and gray ink with watercolor, over traces of graphite
Jean-Baptiste Regnault
1798
A Judge of the Criminal Court, Pierre Narcisse Guérin  French, Pen and gray ink with watercolor, over traces of graphite
Pierre Narcisse Guérin
ca. 1798–99
A City Hall, elevation, Harry Sternfeld  American, Graphite, pen and black ink, gray and brown wash
Harry Sternfeld
National Institute for Architectural Education
1914
A Radio Broadcasting Station, elevation, Donald Siegfried Nelson  American, Graphite, pen and black ink, gray and brown wash heightened with white and gold
Donald Siegfried Nelson
National Institute for Architectural Education
1927
Candlestick Base, Brass with silver inlay
first half 14th century
Mosque Lamp for the Mausoleum of Amir Aydakin al-'Ala'i al-Bunduqdar, Glass; blown, folded foot, applied handles, enameled, and gilded
shortly after 1285
Mosque Lamp, Glass; enameled
first half 14th century
Textile Fragment, Wool; appliqued and embroidered
late 14th–mid-15th century
Osage Warrior, Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin  French, Watercolor and graphite on off-white wove paper, American
Charles Balthazar Julien Févret de Saint-Mémin
1805–7
Pes-Ke-Le-Cha-Co, Henry Inman  American, Oil on canvas, American
Henry Inman
1832–33
Hayne Hudjihini, Eagle of Delight, Henry Inman  American, Oil on canvas, American
Henry Inman
1832–33
Showing 20 of 30

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

View Citations

Allon, Niv, David Breslin, Adam Eaker, Maryam Ekhtiar, Shirin Fozi, Sarah B. Graff, Brinda Kumar, et al. “Leadership and Society.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin 81, no. 4 (2024).