How the Met Opera Turned Beloved Murals Into Financial Tools
Artnet News reported on January 30, 2026, that the Metropolitan Opera has explored monetizing two monumental Marc Chagall murals—The Sources of Music and The Triumphs of Music—installed at Lincoln Center since the opera house opened in 1966. Met general manager Peter Gelb told the New York Times that the works have been appraised by Sotheby’s at $55 million and could be sold under a condition that they remain in place with a donor plaque. The article notes that the murals have already been used as collateral for loans from J.P. Morgan, Bank of America, and most recently Citibank, with the first such loan originating in 2009 when the Met was $71 million in the red. The latest loan, made during the pandemic in 2021, is reported to come due in October, as the Met operates with an annual budget of more than $300 million.
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This story was covered in Restitution Rising, Museums Cutting Deep