The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection in NYC was my second stop, it was not on my actual list of places to visit in NYC but then... Just the previous day I discovered that my high school friend from UK was visiting NYC with her husband. We hadn't met in 16 yrs...and so plans were made and it was decided that we meet at The Frick Collection the next day post lunch. Both her husband and she appreciated art and enjoyed visiting museums... so I was in wonderful company.
The Frick Collection is a residence turned art museum of Pittsburgh industrialist and art collector Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919). The fifth avenue residence is one of the few remaining Gilded Age mansions of New York. Henry Clay's story is extremely interesting...from humble beginnings in Pittsburg to becoming a millionaire! All through that journey he was an avid art collector...what started as collection of local artsits's works, it expanded to beautiful collections of the old masters!!
The Frick houses not only the paintings old masters but also fine furniture housed in six galleries within the former residence. Many of the paintings are still arranged according to Frick's design. Besides its permanent collection, the Frick has always organized small, focused temporary exhibitions.
The Frick doesnt allow photography inside the museum...so though I couldn't click much pictures at the venue, I found some interesting pictures online which I am sharing in here...
The building from the fifth avenue...
The entrence on the 70th street.....
One of the rooms at the house.. all the rooms have been maintained just as it was in Frick's day
The house was built between 1912-1914... and even when the work was in progress, Frick made sure the walls and panels would hold his art collection... he did want his house to be an art museum !!
another room at the house... look at all the gilded gold work along the ceiling and the door-window frames
The garden view!
The two paintings on either side of the mantel in the above room by artist Hans Holbein
Here is an interesting video about Henry Clay Frick and The Frick Collection... About Frick we were shown this video in the music room of the house.
Sharing below some of the paintings at The Frick Collection...
Rembrandt, self portrait
Francisco Goya, The Forge... Goya is yet another inspiring oil painter, stunning works..
This yet another stunning painting from the collection by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Louise de Broglie.
James McNeil Whistler, Harmony in Pink and Grey..... This painting in person is breath taking, one can spend an entire day watching those brush strokes in the dress!!
This parlor in the house was exclusively designed to hold Fragonards's 'Progress of love' Here is very interesting video on the inception of this series of artworks and their journey through various patorns... a must watch!! Fragonard's 'Progress of Love'
Since no photography was allowed inside the house... my friend and I found a clever way to click the above painting of Ingres... Check out who is photo booming us 😉
House has this beautiful courtyard... that opens up to the public for sketching on specific days of the week..
Another view of the courtyard!!
I ended my visit with a purchase of these lovely books at the souvenir store!
Frick lived in this house for 5 years until his death in 1919. He willed the house and all of its contents, including art, furniture, and decorative objects, as a public museum. His widow retained the right of residence and continued living in the mansion with their daughter Helen. The conversion of the house into a public museum started in 1931 after the death of his widow.
The entry fee was $22, which included the audio tour head set. The tour takes about a min of 2hrs...
Photo Credit: Wikipedia, The Frick Collection, Gryffindor..
http://www.frick.org
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