On Saturday, February 19, 2005 I went to the Detroit Institute of Arts (DIA), one of the largest art institutions in America. It holds over 60,000 art collections ranging from "classic to cutting-edge arts." Within this institution, the arts are categorized into several categories such as European Art, Middle Eastern Islamic, and Asian Art. During my visit, I was very impressed by all the art in each category, but I only found three of the categories very fascinating: European Art, American Art, and African Art. In this essay, I will discuss my interest in each of those categories.
             The European Art collection at the Detroit Institute of Arts is very interesting because of the beautiful sculptures and decorative arts; it contains over 7,000 objects including armor, ceramics, furniture, glass, ivories, jewelry, precious metalwork, and tapestries. The collection spans from the fifth through the 19th centuries and represents all major movements and traditions in European art from the Byzantine and early Christian periods through Art Nouveau. One especially strong concentration is Italian sculpture, which includes works by Nino Pisano, Donatello, Luca Della Robbia, Gianlorenzo Bernini, and other important Italian artists. The medieval collection is also notable for its sculpture, as well as its superb ivories, enamels, and stained glass. In addition, there is an important and growing focus on 19th-century European sculpture, especially models and rare or unique works by Rude, Carpeaux, GerÔme, Gauguin, and Rodin. The European Art collection spans centuries and also includes important objects from the classical Mediterranean world, including Greek and Roman sculptures. It is also particularly rich in European modernist painting from the early decades of the 20th century, including works by Picasso and Matisse. The decorative arts collection is distinguished by its strong holdings in the early 20th century designs, particular...