New York City Upper East Side

The Upper East Side’s galleries provide a venue for contemporary artists to have their shot at becoming the next master venerated by New York’s art cognoscenti. Madison Ave., between E 63rd and E 81st St., boasts numerous ritzy showplaces, whose primary goal is to get work off the gallery walls and onto those of a Park Ave. socialite. A number of slightly less opulent galleries sit on 57th St., between Madison and Park Ave.

Acquavella, 18 E 79th St. (☎212-734-6300; www.acquavellagalleries.com), between Madison and 5th Ave. S 6 to 77th St. This majestic 5-story townhouse displays Impressionist, post-Impressionist, and postwar contemporary paintings, drawings, and sculpture. Cézanne, Chagall, Dali, Degas, Giacometti, Monet, Picasso, and Pollack all turn up at this high-end showcase. Open Sept.-June M-F 10am-5pm. Call for hours July-Aug.
Gagosian Gallery, 980 Madison Ave. (☎212-744-2313; www.gagosian.com), between 76th and 77th St. S 6 to 77th St. This sprawling and well-established gallery features the work of modern and contemporary artists. Exhibits have included Ed Ruscha’s drawings, Picasso’s sculpture, Roy Lichtenstein’s early black-and-white work, and Frank Stella’s “Exotic Birds” paintings. Open Tu-Sa 10am-6pm; call for summer hours.
Sotheby’s, 1334 York Ave. (☎212-606-7000, ticket office 212-606-7171; www.sothebys.com), at 72nd St. S 6 to 68th St. This headquarters of the international Sotheby’s conglomerate is one of the city’s oldest and most-respected auction houses. In 2004, a Picasso sold for $104 million at a Sotheby’s auction, the most ever paid for a piece of art at auction. Visitors are welcome to peruse materials soon to go up for auction—which range from Disney artifacts to Degas paintings to the personal effects of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Most auctions are open to the public, though some of the most popular ones require a ticket. Galleries open M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su 1-5pm.
Hirschl and Adler Galleries, 21 E 70th St. (☎212-535-8810; www.hirschlandadler.com), between Madison and 5th Ave. S 6 to 68th St. 2 floors of rotating exhibitions show a variety of 18th- and 19th-century European and American art, along with modern and contemporary pieces. Featured artists have included Gauguin, Cassatt, O’Keeffe, Monet, and Pissaro. Open from late Sept. to Memorial Day Tu-F 9:30am-5:15pm; from Memorial Day to late Sept. M-F 9:30am-4:45pm.
Leo Castelli, 18 E 77th St., Apartment 3A (☎212-249-4470; www.castelligallery.com), between Madison and 5th Ave. S 6 to 77th St. Leo Castelli, a highly influential art dealer known for showcasing the early efforts of Frank Stella and Andy Warhol, founded this legendary gallery in 1957, which shows a selection of established and up-and-coming artists. Open from mid-Aug. to late June Tu-Sa 10am-6pm, from late June to mid Aug. M-F 11am-5pm.
M. Knoedler & Co., Inc., 19 E 70th St. (☎212-794-0550; www.knoedlergallery.com), between Madison and 5th Ave. S 6 to 68th St. Established in 1846, this gallery is one of New York City’s oldest and most respected, specializing in postwar and contemporary art with an emphasis on the artists of the New York School. Recent exhibits have featured the work of Catherine Murphy, Jules Olitski, and John Walker. Open Labor Day to Memorial Day M-Sa 9:30am-5pm; Memorial Day to Labor Day M-F 9:30am-5pm.