What to see if you only have 30 minutes at the MoMA

Although I believe the MoMA requires at least an hour and a half to enjoy, here are my tips for what you just can’t miss.

The museum is organized by floor, having different floors hold art from different era. My recommendation is if you only have 30 minutes, only choose one floor! I recommend hitting the fifth-floor, which houses artwork from the 1880s-1940s.

Here are a few pieces of art that you just won’t want to miss...

Starry Night- Vincent Van Gogh

This one will surely have a crowd, but it is worth waiting to get your chance to be up close and personal. The painting we have all seen hundreds of times somehow looks a little different in person.

 

The Persistence of Memory- Salvador Dali

This surrealism piece may be smaller than expected, which makes the realistic look of the oil painting even more impressive. This piece is within a room of surrealism art that perplexes the mind.

 

Water Lilies and Agapanthus- Claude Monet

I was most excited to see Monet on my last visit. The room is full of wall sized paintings of serene botanicals. The sense of calm that the art brings is in contrast to much of the other art, which depicts the pains of war, loss, and anguish.

 

The Eternal City- Peter Blume

This painting is one of the most impressive. The image tells a story, depicting Benito Mussolini as an angry jack-in-the-box hovering over ruins in Italy. The photograph-like precision and colorful details will have you leaning in for more.

**This is a sample work only**