After years or work, the Metropolitan Museum reopens its Greek and Roman galleries. “Fulfilling a plan initiated by his predecessor, Thomas Hoving, Mr. de Montebello has done the Met and the city — and everybody — incalculable good by pushing through this project, which in so many ways goes against the grain. It’s not about celebrity architecture. It’s not politically correct. The timing is awful, since so much attention is focused on looting. But it is about reiterating an ideal for art and for the museum, about extolling the collection, which is the public’s heritage, seen by millions, and about doing the hard thing because it is right.”