Bowl, Western Asia, ninth century, from the exhibit, “Glass of the Sultans.” Trustees of the British Museum.

Since we have room to cover only a small selection of the exciting exhibitions scheduled in New York City this season, I thought I would concentrate on one museum in this article: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hardly a secret, it is perhaps New York City’s number one tourist attraction. What you may not know is the extent and variety of the museum’s holdings. And you may want to plan to see some of this fall’s special temporary exhibitions.

The best way to visit the Met is to decide in advance what you want to see, go directly to those particular exhibitions, and then allow additional wandering time. If you do not do that, you will be overwhelmed, and may never get to see what you’d planned to. If in doubt, ask at the information desk for directions to the area you have decided to visit. Many of the Met’s permanent galleries have been reinstalled and refurbished. If you haven’t been there for a while, you are certain to be impressed. Among these are the Chinese, Japanese, Byzantine, Cypriot, Near Eastern, and Greek galleries. The Vélez Blanco Patio has been reopened for a year, after three years of conservation. Always a favorite area, it was originally part of a real 16th-century Fajardo castle, important in the history of the Spanish Renaissance. Reconstructed inside the museum in 1964, it is composed of delicately carved marbles; until January, there is also a show of carved pine friezes from the original castle. The Jacques and Natasha Gelman Galleries: The School of Paris just opened in June, and presents 50 major works by European artists living in Paris between 1905 and 1967. Some of these stand as icons of the 20th century.

Pieter Bruegel’s The Painter and the Connoisseur, mid 1560s. Graphische Sammulung Albertina, Vienna.

Of the temporary exhibitions at the Met, “African, Oceanic, and Ancient American Art: Recent Acquisitions” has been receiving accolades. It is comprised of 70 pieces from a broad range of times and cultures, all of which have been acquired by the museum during the last five years. All the items are meant to have some contact with the human body, to be worn or carried. They range from Christian crosses of brass from the Congo dating from the 16th to the 19th century; to personal ornaments of gold and shell from Island Southeast Asia; to Mayan ceramics from Mexico/Guatemala more than a thousand years old. The New York Times calls it “one of the best new group shows in the city.” It’s on view through October 28.

Totally different—and, quite literally, a breath of fresh air—is “Joel Shapiro on the Roof,” a selection of five large sculptures installed in the spectacular Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Roof Garden. If this sounds somewhat familiar, it is because I have devoted two previous Journal articles to sculpture on the roof of the Met. Every year, the Met installs a different selection of sculpture. The Shapiro works are in cast-bronze and cast-aluminum, and three of them have never been seen previously. They are in the Constructivist tradition. This roof garden is simply one of my favorite spaces in the city. You have to take a special elevator up, and when you emerge, you can see breathtaking views of Central Park and the Manhattan skyline. The sculpture installations always make you question what art is; is it the sculpture or the surrounding rooftops, water towers, reflecting windows from the Met? Perhaps it is all of these. The garden is open through late fall, weather permitting.

Joel Shapiro’s Untitled- 2000-2001. The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Two extraordinary new exhibitions are “Pieter Bruegel, the Elder, Drawings and Prints” and “Caspar David Friedrich: Moonwatchers.” The first contains the largest number of Bruegel’s drawings ever assembled, and is taken from European and North American public and private collections. It is calculated to demonstrate how Bruegel scholarship has changed in recent years, and is on view from September 25 to December 2. The second is an intimate show, celebrating the Met’s acquisition of its first work by Friedrich (1774-1840), the 19th-century German Romantic painter. In addition to the Met’s painting, two other versions from Dresden and Berlin will be shown, along with work by Friedrich’s contemporaries such as Carus, Dahl, Gille, and Heinrich. Those of you who know Friedrich’s work are aware of its moody, mysterious presence. This will be on view only from September 11 to November 11.

Signac’s Plane Trees, Place des Lices, Saint-Tropez, Opus 242, 1893. Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh.

Quite different from any of these will be “Signac 1863-1935: Master Neo-Impressionist,” on view from October 9 to December 30. A huge show, containing about 120 paintings, drawings, and prints, it is the first retrospective of this master in more than 40 years. Signac painted primarily sea and port scenes; over the years, his technique changed from a Monet-like Impressionism, through the influence of Georges Seurat, to his own later style. Also included will be lesser known paintings. In conjunction with this show, there will be a smaller one called “Neo-Impressionism: The Circle of Paul Signac,” from October 2 to December 30. This will include about 60 works from the Met’s own collection, ranging from Seurat to Matisse.

Mukudj Dance Mask, Gabon; Punu peoples, 19th century. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, recent acquisition.

From October 2 to January 13, 2002, you can see a major loan exhibition from the Islamic world, titled “Glass of the Sultans.” If you love glass, this will be a special treat, with its 161 pieces of Islamic and European glass made for the Oriental market or inspired by Islamic examples.

“Treasury of the World: Jeweled Arts of India in the Age of the Mughals,” from October 18 to January 13, will be a veritable blockbuster, with its more than 300 objects from the wealthy Mughal rulers of India (1526-1858), who loved precious, jeweled personal adornments, weapons, bowls, and the like.

Believe it or not, I have not even begun to scratch the surface of the holdings of the Met, which is more like a city in itself than a museum. Of special interest for Juilliard folk are, of course, the musical instrument collection and the Costume Institute—but I assume you already know about these.

The Metropolitan Museum is located at 82nd Street and Fifth Avenue. It is open Friday and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. It is closed Mondays. There is a suggested admission of $5 for students, but you are free to pay what you wish.

Greta Berman is an art historian on the liberal arts faculty.