FRICK COLLECTION

Description

Essentials about the Frick Collection in brief

For art lovers, a visit to the Frick Collection is a must. Located on the east side of Central Park at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and 70th Street, the art museum owns a very important collection of European paintings.

The history of the Frick Collection

The model for the Frick Collection was the collection of Richard Wallace, who converted his home in London together with his art collection into a museum and opened it to the public as the Wallace Collection. Steel industrialist Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) was so delighted with the intimate presentation of the artworks that he wanted a similar display of his art collection.

In 1905, Frick moved to New York City to spend his retirement. In 1913/14, he had a prestigious residence built for himself and his family on the edge of Central Park on the Upper East Side at a cost of five million dollars. After Frick’s death in 1919, the residence with its art collection of 131 paintings went into a foundation, but was initially still occupied by his widow. After her death in 1931, the building was remodeled for museum use, and two exhibition rooms, a concert and lecture hall, and an atrium were added. In 1935, the Frick Collection opened its doors to the public. In addition to the house and collection, Henry Clay Frick bequeathed $15 million to the foundation for upkeep of the collection and other acquisitions.

The collection of the Frick Collection

The Frick Collection displays more than 1,100 works of art from the Renaissance to the late 19th century in 16 gallery spaces. The list of artists on display reads like a who’s who of European painting. Italian Renaissance painting is represented by artists such as Bellini, Titian and Veronese. Outstanding artists of 17th century Dutch and Flemish painting include Jan Vermeer, Rembrandt van Rijn, Frans Hals, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Peter Paul Rubens and Jan van Eyck. Spanish painters represented are Francisco de Goya, El Greco and Diego Velázquez. French painting is a major focus of the museum, with separate rooms dedicated to the painters François Boucher and Jean-Honoré Fragonard.

Among the 19th century artists on display are Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet and Claude Monet. English painting of the 18th century is represented primarily by works of Thomas Gainsborough. The German art scene is only marginally present with a work by Konrad Witz and two paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger. American artists are also significantly underrepresented in the Frick Collection.

In addition to paintings and prints, the Frick Collection also owns a collection of sculptures, clocks, silverwork, carpets, Chinese porcelain, Limoges enamelware, and French furniture.