The Metropolitan Museum of Art and New York ’s Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie have announced an agreement set to mark a major turning point in the international museum landscape: beginning in 2028, the Neue Galerie will officially merge with the Met through a merger that will bring together under one institution the most significant collection of 20th-century Austrian and German art found outside Europe.
The deal, announced on the Neue Galerie’s 25th anniversary, aims to ensure the preservation, enhancement, and continuity of an extraordinary artistic heritage while maintaining the identity and museum experience that have made the New York gallery famous.
The Neue Galerie’s collection includes masterpieces by such seminal artists of European modernism as Gustav Klimt, author of the famous Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I, as well as works by Egon Schiele, Oskar Kokoschka, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Beckmann, Gabriele Münter and Josef Hoffmann. The agreement reflects the vision cultivated for years by Ronald S. Lauder, founder of the Neue Galerie, and stems from a shared desire with the Metropolitan Museum of Art to ensure permanent access to the collection and the historic building that houses the museum.
At the same time as the announcement, Ronald S. Lauder and his daughter Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer announced their intention to donate a group of thirteen important twentieth-century Austro-German paintings from their private collection to the future United Institutions. Among the works that will enter the collection are Gustav Klimt’s Die Tänzerin, made between 1916 and 1918, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s Die Russische Tänzerin Mela, and Max Beckmann’s Umberto Gallery. Future donations are also planned, such as The Black Feather Hat and works by Otto Dix, George Grosz, and Franz Marc.
In addition to the artworks, Ronald S. Lauder and Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer have announced a substantial financial donation e armarked for the maintenance, preservation and future operation of the Neue Galerie, as well as additional financial support to further the integration of the collection and the operation of the facility. In support of the entire operation, a number of Metropolitan Museum of Art board members have also contributed to the creation of a major capital fund designed to ensure the long-term economic sustainability of the project. Key supporters include Marina Kellen French, a member of the Met board and a longtime supporter of the museum, who is particularly attached to the art and cultural tradition represented by the Neue Galerie collection. Early substantial funding has also been pledged by Met trustees Candace K. Beinecke, Jim Breyer, Daniel Brodsky, Richard Lockwood Chilton Jr, Betsy Cohen, Stephen M. Cutler, Robert Denning, Blair Effron, Amy Griffin, Yan Huo, Hamilton (“Tony”) E. James, Michael B. Kim, Julia Koch, Sacha Lainovic, Janice YK Lee, Dasha Zhukova Niarchos, John Pritzker, Frank E. Richardson, Jennifer Rubio, Alejandro Santo Domingo, Karen Seymour, Beatrice Stern, Gaby Sulzberger, David Winter, and other anonymous donors.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Neue Galerie New York plan to complete the merger process by 2028, subject to obtaining the necessary administrative and institutional approvals. Upon completion, the Neue Galerie and the historic William Starr Miller House will assume the new name of The Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie.
The museum venue will continue to maintain its exhibition and cultural identity, continuing the operations of the galleries, stores, and the historic Café Sabarsky, one of the museum’s most valued spaces. The total assets of the Neue Galerie, including the endowment fund, will also become part of the Met and help support the activities and preservation of the collection. With the merger, the future Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie will officially become a new branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, alongside the Met Fifth Avenue and The Met Cloisters. The union between the two institutions will also allow for expanded research, scholarly, and outreach activities through collaboration between their respective curatorial and management expertise. The goal is to strengthen the Neue Galerie’s programs and make the collection accessible to an even wider audience, both in the United States and internationally, through new digital initiatives, shared projects, and innovative interpretive tools. The merger will also open up additional possibilities for research and curatorial dialogue, fostering new ways of reading and presenting works from the collections of the Met and the Neue Galerie, while respecting the historical missions that have characterized both institutions.
To accompany this new phase, a special joint advisory committee will be established, dedicated to project development and oversight of the new museum arrangement. The inaugural chair of the committee will be Ronald S. Lauder.
From the beginning, the Neue Galerie has been a deeply personal and enduring passion for me.
I often think back to my childhood in New York City in the late 1950s and early 1960s, a time when art and creativity flourished simultaneously. In many ways, it must have seemed like the Vienna of half a century earlier. That was the world that shaped me. One evening, my parents took me to dinner at the Met to celebrate Florence Gould’s donation of a Pierre Bonnard painting. I found myself seated among many of the leading collectors of that era, people whose generosity would later define the great museums of this country.
I sat there, absorbing everything, and began to imagine what a life as an art collector would be like. I remember thinking that I would be lucky to become a great art collector, or perhaps a great collector of drawings, or even a great collector of medieval art. The next day, I met Florence Gould and told her about these ambitions. I never forgot her answer, “Why not be all three?”
In 1967 I met Serge Sabarsky, who became my mentor, partner and friend for the next 29 years. A decade later, Serge and I began to share a vision: to create a museum dedicated to Austrian and German art. In 1994 we found the ideal home in the William Starr Miller House, at the corner of 86th Street and Fifth Avenue, and Annabelle Selldorf oversaw its restoration with great care and precision. Unfortunately, Serge did not live long enough to see the opening of the museum, but I know how proud he would be to see the Neue Galerie today.
The Neue Galerie opened its doors in November 2001, just two months after 9/11. The city was still in shock, but, in a small way, the opening of the museum offered a sense of rebirth. In the first few weeks, there were long lines. Since then, more than two million visitors have passed through our doors.
In 2006, we had the pleasure of hosting one of the most extraordinary figures ever to grace the walls of a museum: Adele Bloch-Bauer, the Woman in Gold. Gustav Klimt’s portrait became the Mona Lisa of the Neue Galerie and continues to attract visitors from all over the world.
Over the past twenty-five years, the exhibitions, the permanent collection, the design and book stores, and the Neue Galerie’s Café Sabarsky have created an experience that transports visitors to another era: early twentieth-century Vienna and Weimar Germany. And as Serge used to say, “If the coffee is not good, the museum will not be good.”
None of this would have been possible without the dedication of Renée Price, founder and historical director of the Neue Galerie. I met Renée in the 1970s, when she was director of Serge Sabarsky’s gallery. She participated in the early discussions that led to the creation of the museum and understands its mission better than anyone. I am also grateful to her management team and all the staff, whose daily work made this vision possible. Their commitment has meant so much to me personally.
The merger with the Met in 2028 will preserve and strengthen the legacy of the Neue Galerie forever.
I am especially grateful to Max Hollein for his leadership and deep understanding of the historical importance of this collection. Under his leadership, the Met continues to distinguish itself not only as one of the world’s greatest museums, but also as a steadfast custodian of culture, memory, and identity. I am confident that Max and the Met are uniquely positioned to help preserve this legacy into the future. Through this partnership, we can carry the Neue Galerie forward with prestige.
Thank you for sharing this journey with me. I will continue to be present at the door, welcoming our members to each exhibition, and I look forward to seeing you at our 25th anniversary exhibition this fall.
“Over the past twenty-five years, the Neue Galerie’s exhibitions, permanent collection, design and book stores, and Café Sabarsky have created an experience that transports visitors to another era: early twentieth-century Vienna and Weimar Germany,” said Ronald S. Lauder, co-founder, president, and chairman of the board of the Neue Galerie. “The merger with the Met in 2028 will preserve and strengthen the legacy of the Neue Galerie forever. I am especially grateful to Max Hollein for his leadership and deep understanding of the historical importance of this collection. Under his leadership, the Met continues to distinguish itself not only as one of the world’s greatest museums, but also as a steadfast custodian of culture, memory, and identity. I am confident that Max and the Met are ideally positioned to help preserve this legacy for the future. Through this partnership, we can carry the Neue Galerie forward with prestige.”
“Ronald Lauder is an unparalleled collector,” said Max Hollein, director and CEO of the Met. “Among his many fields of interest, Austrian and German fin de siècle art was the one he was most fond of. Ronald created a museum that is itself a work of art and ultimately a profound reflection of his passion, expertise and philanthropy. We are deeply grateful to Ronald, Aerin and their family for their generosity and unwavering commitment to sharing their extraordinary collection with the world, and honored to carry on their immense legacy. I also express my gratitude to Marina Kellen French and our many board members who have generously committed to supporting this initiative.”
“On behalf of the Met’s board of directors,” added Candace K. Beinecke and Hamilton E. James, co-chairs of the Met’s Board of Trustees, “we express our gratitude to Ronald S. Lauder and his family for their exceptional generosity and forward-thinking philanthropy. We are honored that Mr. Lauder chose the Met to unite our institutions and entrusted us with the task of preserving the Neue Galerie’s collection and galleries for the public to enjoy.”
“The Neue Galerie represents a lifelong passion of my father’s and a legacy that our family is proud to help carry on,” remarked Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, a Met board member and longtime supporter of the Neue Galerie. “To see it become part of the Met is incredibly significant. It ensures that these works will continue to be preserved, studied, and shared with the widest possible audience for generations to come.”
“Over the past twenty-five years, the Neue Galerie has built a solid reputation for its excellent research, exhibitions, publications, exclusive Design Shop objects, and more,” said Renée Price, founding director of the Neue Galerie. “Thanks to the commitment of our staff, we have fulfilled our mission to create a beloved museum dedicated to early 20th-century Austrian and German art and design, a museum that I am delighted will now have a permanent home within the Met.”
“One of the greatest joys of being a New Yorker is visiting the Met and the Neue Galerie often. I inherited a love of art from my parents, and as a philanthropist and collector, it has been gratifying to celebrate the wonders of the Met and Neue Galerie with their vast audiences. I have long been a supporter of the Neue Galerie and a champion of the Met. With the union of my two beloved museums, the cultural lives of New Yorkers and visitors from around the world will be further enriched. It is a privilege to be part of this extraordinary endeavor,” concluded Marina Kellen French, a Met board member and longtime supporter of the Met and friend of the Neue Galerie.
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| As of 2028, the Neue Galerie in New York will flow into the Metropolitan Museum. Major donations expected |
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