There was something ineffably sad about visiting the Metropolitan Museum a couple of days ago (as I did) and sensing that it’s still just as Philippe de Montebello had left it, but he’s no longer there. (Or maybe he was, packing up the last few mementos and belongings.)
He will be greatly missed.
Still, it’s now out with the old, in with the new, and Philippe’s not the only Met official who can achieve video stardom.
Here’s the new director, Thomas Campbell, in a museum-produced YouTube snippet, where he introduces himself to Met fans. (Whoever directed this scripted clip must have sternly instructed Tom: “You absolutely must smile at the end!”)