Opening this spring at The Met Cloisters, Creatures of Myth and Imagination: Europe and the Americas will explore fantastic mythical beings in the visual arts over the course of a millennium, from 500 to 1500 CE.
Hybrid beings – imaginary creatures that combine features of different animals, humans, and even plants- abound in the history of art, reflecting the human impulse across time and space to deconstruct, interchange, and reassemble elements of the known world into inventive entities and extraordinary visions.
A collaborative effort between The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Cloisters location and Michael C. Rockefeller Wing at The Met Fifth Avenue, this exhibition will illuminate the parallel but independent traditions of Europe and the Americas to investigate the multiple functions of works depicting hybrids and the roles these objects played in people’s lives. The exhibition will be on view May 18th to October 18th, 2026.
The exhibition is made possible by the Michel David-Weill Fund.
Traditions
“Artistic traditions throughout human history have included images of fantastical hybrid creatures that combine elements of the natural world
to evoke extraordinary, otherworldly powers,” said Max Hollein, The Met’s Marina Kellen French Director and Chief Executive Officer. “Bringing together works from two distinct cultures, Creatures of Myth and Imagination will illuminate the recurring motif of the mythical being and reveal the shared fascinations that drive creativity across time and space.”
“Supernatural, composite beings are key figures in the telling of stories, the making of myths, and the bridging of heaven and earth. Above all, they expand the spheres of action of their worldly counterparts. This exhibition explores how, in the hands of artists, imaginary creatures take on physical form and participate in many facets of human experience,” said Julia Perratore, Associate Curator at The Met Cloisters.
Creatures of Myth and Imagination will present over 50 objects, including paintings, sculpture, ceramics, ivories, textiles, and metalwork. Drawn mainly from The Met collection, the objects displayed will demonstrate how the varied materials of artistic expression are mobilised to create the uncreated. This will be the first time that art of the ancient Americas will be presented at The Met Cloisters, opening up exciting new avenues of dialogue between objects rarely seen together. The exhibition will also feature key loans from the Museo del Templo Mayor, part of the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia in Mexico City, including a remarkable sculpture of Tzinacantecuhtli, the Zapotec “bat lord,” that has never before travelled to New York.
Exhibition Dates:
May 18–October 18, 2026
Exhibition Location:
The Met Cloisters,
Gallery 1, Gallery 10, and Gallery 16
www.metmuseum.org
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