The Neue Galerie New York, renowned for its collection of early 20th-century Austrian and German art, will merge with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2028, the institutions announced. Upon completion of the merger, the Neue Galerie will be renamed the Met Ronald S. Lauder Neue Galerie, commonly referred to as the Met Neue Galerie.

The Neue Galerie, opened in 2001 by cosmetics heir Ronald S. Lauder, is best known for housing Gustav Klimt’s famous portrait "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I," often called the Woman in Gold. Lauder, who is 82, emphasized that the merger aims to preserve the Neue’s distinct character and independence beyond his involvement, drawing parallels to the Met’s management of the Cloisters, which has maintained its unique identity despite affiliation with the larger institution.

The agreement between the two museums includes a $200 million endowment to ensure the long-term care and preservation of the Neue’s collection and facility. Lauder and his daughter, Aerin Lauder Zinterhofer, are making a significant financial contribution to this fund alongside a donation of 13 Austrian and German paintings from their personal collection. These include Klimt’s "Die Tänzerin (The Dancer)" from circa 1916-18, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner’s "Die Russische Tänzerin Mela (The Russian Dancer Mela)" (1911), and Max Beckmann’s "Galleria Umberto" (1925), among other works by Otto Dix, George Grosz, and Franz Marc.

Max Hollein, the Met’s director and chief executive who has served on the Neue Galerie’s board for two decades, called the merger “an enormous opportunity” that broadens the Met’s holdings in a key artistic era. He noted that while the Met’s collection in Viennese and Berlin avant-garde art of the early 20th century was limited, the merger positions the institution to fill this gap with important works from an epicenter of modern art development.

Despite the integration, certain iconic pieces, including the Woman in Gold, will remain housed at the Neue Galerie location on 86th Street and Fifth Avenue rather than being moved to the Met’s flagship Fifth Avenue building. Lauder described the Klimt portrait as the museum’s equivalent of the Mona Lisa and indicated it will not be part of traveling exhibitions at the Met’s main campus.

The Beaux-Arts mansion that houses the Neue, designed by Carrère & Hastings and renovated by Annabelle Selldorf, is adjacent to the Met and provides visitors with an immersive period environment akin to the Met’s period rooms. The Neue’s distinctive café, Café Sabarsky, known for Viennese specialties and imported marble tables, will continue operations following planned renovations.

The merger’s operational details and leadership roles are still being finalized. Renée Price, the Neue Galerie’s founding director, described the collaboration as a partnership akin to combining chamber music with a full orchestra, emphasizing the potential for creative synergy.

The endowment received a lead gift from Marina Kellen French, a Met board member, as well as support from trustees Candace K. Beinecke, Daniel Brodsky, and Blair Effron. Lauder’s longstanding relationship with New York’s art institutions includes a major 2020 donation of arms and armor to the Met and a family history of significant contributions, such as his brother Leonard A. Lauder’s gift of Cubist works valued at over $1 billion.

The Neue Galerie will close for renovation on Wednesday, with plans to reopen in the fall alongside a 25th anniversary exhibition. The merger solidifies the Met’s commitment to expanding its range of European modernist collections while preserving the Neue Galerie’s unique identity.