The Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded 150 years ago today, April 13, 1870, by an act of the New York State Legislature, which makes it a good day to sift through its vast online collection to present artwork about theater and actors. The work below was created by such familiar painters and sculptures as Picasso, Renoir, Degas, Seurat, Toulouse-Lautrec, and also by artists going back thousands of years, whose names are lost to history. Click on any photograph to see it enlarged and read the caption.
Happy Birthday, Met. Eager to see you reopen when it’s safe to do so.

Allen & Ginter (American, Richmond, Virginia) Edwin Booth, from the Actresses and Celebrities series (N60, Type 1) promoting Little Beauties Cigarettes for Allen & Ginter brand tobacco products, 1887 American, Albumen photograph; Sheet: 2 3/8 × 1 1/2 in. (6 × 3.8 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Jefferson R. Burdick Collection, Gift of Jefferson R. Burdick (63.350.202.60.13) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/422317

Georges Seurat (French, Paris 1859–1891 Paris) Circus Sideshow (Parade de cirque), 1887–88 Oil on canvas; 39 1/4 x 59 in. (99.7 x 149.9 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Stephen C. Clark, 1960 (61.101.17) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/437654

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (French, Albi 1864–1901 Saint-André-du-Bois) The Coiffure: Playbill for the Théâtre Libre, 1893 French, Lithograph printed in color, on japan paper; 19-11/16 x 13 in. (50.0 x 32.99 cm) The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Bequest of Scofield Thayer, 1982 (1984.1203.140) http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/334380

The Actor Rouvière in the Role of Hamlet, Recoiling Before the Ghost 1866. The composition was designed for the tomb of the actor Philibert Rouvière in Montmarte Cemetery in Paris. The tomb relief was subsequently stolen. In this cast from the Barbedienne foundry, Préault’s signature was effaced and replaced with that of the much later sculptor Dalou.

Noh Costume (Nuihaku) with Ivy, Incense Wrappers, and Bamboo Blinds first half of the 18th century.. Elegant nuihaku, like this one, were worn wrapped around the waist as outer garments, mostly by actors playing female roles. On stage, actors could take advantage of the light-reflecting qualities of the applied metallic leaf.