For those of us with a deep interest in art , it has just been announced that The Neue Galerie of Austrian and German Art ( 86th Street and Fifth Avenue ) will merge with and become a component part of The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York . The Neue Galerie's holdings will remain at the Carrere and Hastings building at 86th Street and the building itself will become property of The Met .
Posted by
Arlington TX
1022 posts
I have such mixed feelings about this merger. The amazing portrait of Adele by Klimt will never move from the building from what I have read. The museum is being renovated all summer evidently. It is such a beautiful small jewel box of a place, I hope it doesn’t become over run or lose its special atmosphere.
Posted by
OP
white plains, ny, usa
4334 posts
Indeed , the painting will remain in the 86th street building , however I'm certain it will be well protected ( and relocated to a secure space ) during interior remodeling work . The really good news is that the building and the artwork will then be under the protection of an essentially public institution rather than private ownership .
Posted by
SE Pennsylvania
3293 posts
I love the Neue Galerie and it's cafe. A tiny piece of Austria I can get to once or twice a year.
I don't see anything about the merger that concerns me so far.
Posted by
Wyckoff, NJ, USA
8720 posts
Note that the current director of the Met Museum is ... Austrian. I'd also note that The Cloisters has long maintained a separate identity and physical character from the Met. Sometimes, it has seemed to me that the Met slightly regretted that Nelson Rockefeller may have pressured (I'm making this up ... ) them to absorb The Cloisters. But the Met has definitely IMHO used the Cloisters to support "attendance figures." That may be a factor in taking over The Neue Gallery as well.
(I should mention that the W********* drug store in my NJ town opened a second store in the same 16,000-person town simply (IMHO) to prevent one of their competitors from renting a vacant anchor (more sq. ft. than they had in the first store) in large strip mall by the state highway.)