The Met and the Neue Galerie are merging
The Neue Galerie at 1048 Fifth Avenue. Photo by Eden, Janine, and Jim on Wikimedia
The Neue Galerie New York and the Metropolitan Museum of Art will merge, creating the most significant collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art outside of Europe. The Met will take over the Neue Galerie’s collection, which includes iconic works by Gustav Klimt, and its Beaux-Arts building at 1048 Fifth Avenue, in 2028, following necessary approvals.
The Neue, opened by cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder in 2001, is home to Klimt’s famous “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer,” as well as art from Vienna around 1900 and works from major German movements of the early 20th century. Lauder told the New York Times that the famous portrait piece, also known as “The Lady in Gold,” will stay in its current home.
“‘Adele Bloch-Bauer’ stays where it is,” Lauder said. “It is our Mona Lisa.”
Following the merger, the combined museum will be renamed The Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie, joining The Met Fifth Avenue and the Met Cloisters.
“The merger with The Met in 2028 will preserve and strengthen the Neue Galerie’s legacy in perpetuity,” Lauder said in a statement. “I am especially grateful to Max Hollein for his leadership and deep understanding of the historical importance of this collection. Under his direction, The Met continues to stand not only as one of the world’s great museums, but as a steadfast guardian of culture, memory, and identity.”
The Neue Galerie will be closed for the summer, starting May 27, as part of a restoration of the 1914 building designed by Carrère & Hastings and later renovated by Annabelle Selldorf. The museum will reopen in the fall with a special 25th anniversary exhibition, with details to be announced in the coming months.
Lauder and his daughter, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, plan to donate a selection of 13 Austrian and German paintings from their personal collection to the institutions. As the New York Times reported, the museum’s endowment has been estimated at $200 million. According to the newspaper, most of the new endowment for the Neue has already been raised thanks to an undisclosed lead gift from Marina Kellen French, a Met board member, and contributions from several other trustees.
“The Neue Galerie represents a lifelong passion for my father and a legacy our family is proud to help carry forward,” Zinterhofer said. “To see it join The Met is incredibly meaningful. It ensures these works will continue to be preserved, studied, and shared with the widest possible audience for generations to come.”
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