'The Woman in Gold' to Join New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art

Neue Galerie Founded by Estée Lauder Heir

Donates Masterpieces and Entire Gallery Building to the Met

The Neue Galerie in New York, an Austrian and German art museum renowned for Gustav Klimt's golden portraits, will merge with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, one of the world's largest art institutions.

'Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I'. Neue Galerie

On May 15 (local time), the Metropolitan Museum of Art announced that it had signed an agreement to merge with the Neue Galerie in 2028. In the arrangement, the Neue Galerie will donate to the Met more than 600 works—including Klimt’s “Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I” (1907), famously featured in the film “Woman in Gold”—as well as the museum building itself. This comprehensive donation is considered one of the largest mergers of its kind in history.

“Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer I,” one of Klimt’s most celebrated works, was looted by the Nazis and later became property of the Austrian government, but was returned to its Jewish heirs in 2006 after a lengthy legal battle. Ronald Lauder then purchased the painting for $135 million (approximately 200 billion won), making it the centerpiece of the Neue Galerie. The painting is also nicknamed “The Woman in Gold” and “the Mona Lisa of Austria.”

The Neue Galerie, established in 2001 by Ronald Lauder, heir to the American cosmetics company Estée Lauder, specializes in early 20th-century German and Austrian art. Ronald Lauder and his daughter have also pledged to donate 13 paintings from their personal collection. The donation is expected to include Klimt’s “The Dancer” and “Black Feathered Hat,” among others.

In a statement released that day, Ronald Lauder said, “The merger with the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2028 will permanently preserve and strengthen the legacy of the Neue Galerie.” It was reported that the Neue Galerie has prepared a detailed list of merger conditions, which includes a provision to continue operating the “Café Sabarsky” on the first floor of the museum.

Ronald Lauder, heir to the Estée Lauder group, is also known as a long-time friend and major political donor to U.S. President Donald Trump. He is recognized as both a close supporter and friend of President Trump, and is known as the person who suggested the idea of acquiring Greenland to Trump. Ronald Lauder is also the father-in-law of Kevin Warsh, the next chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve (Fed).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.