*The Martyrdom of Saint Barbara,* by Lucas Cranach the Elder, circa 1510.

Look Again

The vice-chairman of 20th- and 21st-century art at Christie’s New York recommends the 10 must-see paintings in the Met’s newly reopened European-art galleries

By Max Carter

In November, the Metropolitan Museum of Art reopened its suite of 45 galleries dedicated to European paintings from 1300 to 1800 following an extensive five-year renovation of the overhead skylights that admit natural light. The museum has fortunately avoided the thin, ahistorical this-looks-like-that school of curation and delivers thoughtful and engaging thematic and cultural narratives.

Herewith, 10 highlights everyone ought to revisit. (I was mildly embarrassed—worried?—to discover that half of my selections revolve around grisly depictions of violence and death. But with nearly 500 European wars fought between 1500 and 1800, I will blame the period.)