LG gives its Met art collection a night out—and a living-room pitch

LG would like your television to develop an art habit. Quite a convincing proposal, honestly: fewer enormous black rectangles, more paintings that look as though someone in the room has excellent taste. In an October 22 event report, LG described its Beyond the Gallery reception in New York the previous evening, celebrating more than 100 works from The Metropolitan Museum of Art on Gallery+.

A quick calendar correction before we get dressed up: this is a new event, not a newly launched collection. LG’s earlier announcement introduced the Met works in August. The fresh pitch is about living with that collection—and the framed Gallery TV designed to show it.

Art that gets a place on the wall

LG’s event highlighted Charles Ethan Porter’s Untitled (Cracked Watermelon), while the wider collection draws on The Met’s holdings across different periods and cultures. The useful idea is being able to change the mood of a room without finding another nail, negotiating with a picture hook or discovering where the tiny spirit level went.

You do not need an art-history seminar to enjoy the premise. Pick something you like looking at, then see it from the sofa in ordinary daylight. A painting that looks lovely as a thumbnail may feel quite different when it is the size of the furniture. Let the room vote before appointing the TV its permanent curator.

Now for the less romantic part: the subscription.

The free collection and the full catalogue are different

The current US Gallery+ page lists a free selection of more than 100 pieces, refreshed quarterly, and a US$5 monthly subscription for the full collection and features. That free selection should not be confused with the 100-plus Met works. Similar-looking numbers, entirely different little guest lists.

LG’s standard one-month trial requires an account and payment method, then renews as a paid plan unless cancelled before it ends. Content and availability vary by country. The US page is not a promise of Canadian pricing or access, so check the service actually offered on your television in your region.

If the appeal is seasonal decorating, ask whether you will enjoy changing the screen regularly. A subscription can make sense when you use its variety. If you only want one favourite image for months, start with the available free content or your own photos and see whether the habit sticks. No need to give every cosy idea a recurring bill immediately.

And no, the frame does not tell the whole story.

Check the television you already have first

LG’s US compatibility guidance points to supported 2025-or-later TVs running webOS 25 or newer, with some models needing an update. The event’s Gallery TV with Frame uses Mini LED technology, a matte screen and interchangeable magnetic frames. The white frame is included; other frames cost extra. Gallery+ is a service, so do not assume you must replace a compatible TV simply because the prettier one is posing nearby.

We have not tested how convincingly these TVs reproduce artwork in a real room. Reflections, brightness and installation deserve a look in person. For another art-on-TV approach, see our Samsung Art Store coverage; our television section follows the screen as well as the subscription. A cultured living room is lovely. A cultured living room that understands its monthly bill is lovelier.

Hero image: LG / The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Official image source.