The paintings will be exhibited in a soft, diffuse light that simulates the light in which they were painted

According to an article by James Barron in the April 4, 2018 issue of The New York Times (“Met lets in the light”), after postponing it for decades, the Metropolitan Museum Is undertaking a $150 million dollar project to replace the skylights, ducts, pipes, and cables in its European Paintings Galleries. Many of these hidden mechanisms which open and close to allow an ideal amount of light into the galleries have deteriorated to the point where they no longer function, leaving some galleries too dark and others with light levels that are higher than they should be. When the work is complete, the paintings will be exhibited in a soft, diffuse light that simulates the light in which they were painted.