The National Portrait Gallery vs The Metropolitan Museum of Art Art, museums and galleries define the cultural importance of all cities. So the clash between two of the best loved art galleries in New York and London is furious. In recent years London art galleries have experienced a renaissance with Young British Artists, the opening of Tate Modern and the rival of well loved galleries like the National. New York has some of the premiere world art galleries including the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art. As you walk up the imposing steps and enter the vast entrance hall of The Metropolitan Museum of Art one wonder's what treasures and collections are housed in approximately 2 million square feet of museum space. The biggest downside of the Met is the shear scale of the collection with 2 million works of art spanning 5000 years of world culture. It is difficult to compare the scale and the scope of The Met with any other museum in the world. However, the National Portrait Museum (like the Met in NY) is one of the most popular museums in London and was founded in 1856 to house the portraits of famous British people. It holds a primary collection of over 10,000 portraits and set out in an imaginative and visually pleasing way. It would take a number of years to appreciate all the collections housed in The Met museum. One has to literally speed walk past fantastic pieces of art like Monet and Van Gough without much appreciation. Many of the pieces on display were presented in a cluttered and poor manner, with the exception of the visiting Chuck Close exhibition which was fantastic, although it felt out of sink with the whole environment. The National Portrait Gallery wins this round as it has managed to find a happy medium in housing collections from the medieval era to modern day and it is an enjoyable fun, plus you don't feel like you are experiencing information overload. Both cities have their own unique charm and idiosyncrasies about them. But as a born and bred Londoner I think that London is the best and wins every time!!!!