"Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen." —Leonardo da Vinci

Based on this simple statement by Leonardo, 18 poets have written new poems inspired by some of the most popular works in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum. The collection represents a wide range of poets and artists, including acclaimed children's poets Marilyn Singer, Alma Flor Alda, and Carole Boston Weatherford and popular artists such as Mary Cassatt, Fernando Botero, Winslow Homer, and Utagawa Hiroshige.

Accompanying the artwork and specially commissioned poems is an introduction, biographies of each poet and artist, and an index.