The Metropolitan Museum of Art has announced a $20 million gift from Leon Levy and his wife, Shelby White, philanthropists and collectors. The gift will finance the renovation of the Roman Court, a new gallery space that will occupy the current site of the museum's restaurant.
The money will also go toward refurbishing the mezzanine level for works from the Greek and Roman art collection.The renovation and expansion of the museum's new Greek and Roman Galleries is a 10-year undertaking that will encompass about 10 percent of the Met's entire exhibition space.
"This gift cannot be underestimated because it moves us significantly toward finally making the broad spectrum of our Greek and Roman holdings accessible to all visitors," said Philippe de Montebello, the Met's director.
White, a Met trustee since 1990, and Levy have an extensive collection of ancient art that was the subject of an exhibition, "Glories of the Past: Ancient Art from the Shelby White and Leon Levy Collection," at the museum in 1990.