The riches of The Metropolitan Museum of Art are truly encyclopedic. Here we can see a statue from the very beginnings of civilization and moments later stand before a painting completed only last year. The extraordinary chronological range of the collections is matched by their geographical scope. Works from every land and every people have their place here. The Museum's wealth of treasures truly demonstrates humankind's protean nature, perseverance, craft, and genius. This guide indicates the breadth and depth of the Museum's collections. Nearly nine hundred works of art, drawn from the eighteen curatorial departments, introduce the reader to the worlds that can be explored at the Metropolitan.