Illusionist Ricky Jay and Critic Michael Kimmelman Chat Matthias Buchinger at the Met Museum Today

Today, January 21, The Metropolitan Museum of Art will host illusionist, actor, and writer Ricky Jay and New York Times architecture critic Michael Kimmelman in a discussion, Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger's Drawings from the Collection of Ricky Jay, about the life and work of Matthias Buchinger, a German artist, magician, and musician.

Standing only 29 inches high, and born without hands or feet, Matthias Buchinger was a great curiosity in the early 18th century. He performed for three successive German emperors, entertained kings, and was a frequent guest at noble houses; yet he was equally celebrated as a calligrapher and micrographer, creating inscriptions that described his physical condition as well as his artistic and personal triumphs. Ricky Jay, one of the world's greatest illusionists, has spent decades captivated by Buchinger's life and remarkably delicate drawings. Kimmelman joins Jay for a look at the fascinating "Little Man of Nuremberg."

Wordplay: Matthias Buchinger's Drawings from the Collection of Ricky Jay begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Grace Rainey Rogers Auditorium. Tickets start at $30. Tickets to this event include Museum admission on the day of the event.

The event is presented in conjunction with the exhibition of the same name, to be presented at the Metropolitan Museum January 8-April 11, 2016.

Matthias Buchinger: "The Greatest German Living" written by Ricky Jay, will be published by Siglio in early 2016 and will be sold in the Museum's book shop.

For tickets and information, visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets or call 212-570-3949. Tickets are also available at the Great Hall Box Office, which is open Monday-Saturday, 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Tickets include admission to the Museum on day of the event. Prices are subject to change.

The live arts series at The Metropolitan Museum of Art that explores contemporary innovations through the lens of the Museum's exhibitions and unparalleled gallery spaces with singular performances and talks. Met Museum Presents invites artists, performers, curators, and thought-leaders to explore and collaborate within the Met, leading with groundbreaking commissions, world premieres, and site-specific durational performances. For more information about Met Museum Presents, visit www.metmuseum.org/tickets.