Dear Friend,

In November 2011, Neue Galerie New York celebrates its tenth anniversary. This journey began in the mid-80s, when the Neue Galerie co-founders Ronald S. Lauder and the late Serge Sabarsky began to discuss creating a museum for German and Austrian art, with their collections as the foundation. I was honored to be part of those discussions, as I am now privileged to carry out their  vision.

Our first decade has been filled with wonderful exhibitions, concerts, lectures, and much more. We have traced entire art movements in “Brücke” and “Van Gogh and Expressionism,” and created shows focused on individual works, such as Adele Bloch-Bauer I by Gustav Klimt and Berlin Street Scene by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner. The warmth with which the Neue Galerie and all its programs have been embraced by the public is a blessing to all who have been involved with the museum.

For this, our special tenth anniversary exhibition, we decided to go beyond our stated mission of presenting German and Austrian art to show selections from the entire collection of the driving force behind our museum, Ronald Lauder.  Capturing this range is quite a challenge, as he maintains a passionate interest in so many different kinds of art:  his collection spans diverse time periods and locations, and ranges from a third-century Celtic belt buckle to a twentieth-century Joseph Beuys drawing.

The main principle uniting all these broad collecting interests is an absolute, instinctual dedication to quality. Our co-founder has the vision and temperament to identify greatness in art very quickly, and he has the conviction and courage to follow through and acquire masterworks.  The result is no less than one of the finest private art collections in the world.

In presenting selections from his collection, we honor the endless quest to assemble and share works of art that exude strength and beauty. These artworks give comfort and speak to the best qualities of human endeavor; they represent a gift and an inspiration beyond all measure.

Renée Price
Director, Neue Galerie New York