Metropolitan Museum reopens European painting galleries after five-year renovation

After five years of closure, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York has reopened its European painting galleries, spanning the 14th to 19th centuries. The renovation involved replacing 1,400 skylights and upgrading climate control systems, costing $150 million. The new installation reorders the 700 works chronologically rather than by national school, encouraging cross-cultural dialogue between Northern and Southern Europe. It also highlights female artists, African American artists, and connections with New Spain and the Viceroyalty of Peru. The reopening coincides with a major El Greco retrospective in Milan and a Tiepolo exhibition at the Morgan Library. The Met's broader renovation program includes the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing (sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, ancient Americas), the Cypriot and Mediterranean galleries by NADAAA, and the modern wing by Frida Escobedo, funded by a $125 million donation from Oscar Liu-Chien Tang and Agnes Hsu-Tang. The modern wing is expected to be completed by 2029. The European galleries' new climate system is projected to reduce energy costs.