100th FPP Special: The Frick Collection returns home
February 1, 2025 6:07 PM   Subscribe

On April 17, after five long years, one of the world's cultural treasures, The Frick Collection, finally returns home.

I've been saving this one for a special occasion...


PAINTINGS


Bellini - St. Francis in Ecstasy

Constable - The White Horse

Holbein the Younger - Portrait of Thomas More

Ingres - Louise de Broglie, Countess d'Haussonville

Rembrandt - The Polish Rider

Vermeer - Officer and Laughing Girl


SCULPTURE


Houdon- Diana the Huntress

Laurana - Beatrice of Aragon


CLOCKS


As a collector, Mr. Frick always knew what time it is.

__________


The house itself is a National Historic Landmark. (I mean, holy shit, just look at that.) If art is your bag, seeing the Collection there at least once should be on your bucket list.

And while you're there, you can also bowl a few frames.
posted by Lemkin (10 comments total) 14 users marked this as a favorite
 
And before anyone feels the irresistible need to Go There...

Yes, Henry Clay Frick did terrible things in life. Perhaps the souls of the victims of the Johnstown Flood are tormenting him in the afterlife even as you read this.

But we desperately need beauty right now. Here it is. Let us try to enjoy it, despite its origins.
posted by Lemkin at 6:07 PM on February 1 [6 favorites]


It's interesting that you would mention the flood, and not, for instance, the Homestead massacre.

The collection is truly superb and its site, if not quite worthy of it, certainly a pleasure to visit. But if Alexander Berkman had gotten the job done, it's hard to say it wouldn't have been well-earned.
posted by praemunire at 6:13 PM on February 1 [5 favorites]


I didn't know much about the frick collection before going there, what 10 years ago? and was utterly amazed by it. Its a gorgeous collection and house.
posted by Art_Pot at 8:04 PM on February 1 [1 favorite]


As a New Yorker, I know my town had a lot of horrible rich guys
posted by Stu-Pendous at 8:10 PM on February 1


This is a fabulous post, Lemkin, and worthy of your 100th.

Two that caught my eye, delighted me:

Landscape with Three Trees, Rembrandt

Vétheuil in Winter, Monet

Congratulations on the milestone, and 100 thanks for your wonderful posts. I am so glad of your presence here on MetaFilter, and all you share with us. Yay Lemkin!
posted by kristi at 8:42 PM on February 1 [1 favorite]


My favourite painting in New York City is the Rembrandt Self Portrait at the Frick. I live in Vancouver, BC so it's not often(especially now) that I get a chance to see it.
I could spend an entire day just staring at it. It's so full of depth, compassion, empathy, humanity, and absolutely wild painterly skill that it exudes what it is to be alive on this planet.
The best self portraits always feel very universal to me, and this one does.
Thank you for the post.
posted by Phlegmco(tm) at 2:00 AM on February 2 [4 favorites]


And while you're there, you can also bowl a few frames.

Be sure to bring a milkshake to drink.
posted by Horace Rumpole at 8:18 AM on February 2


I've been to the museum a bunch of times. Love the Turners. The enormous canvas of Corot's "The Lake" is another highlight.

But yes what a horrible man. And he didn't originate any of these treasures. Did he buy them them? Or did subsequent managers of the collection?
posted by grobstein at 9:09 AM on February 2 [1 favorite]


Nooo! I really regret not having seen any of the collection while it was in the old Whitney space. The Whitney hadn’t been my favorite place to see art until the Met moved in there temporarily. That building was the perfect place for tortured Spanish saints and rococo fantasias.
posted by Conrad-Casserole at 10:26 AM on February 2 [1 favorite]


I can also recommend the Covid-era Cocktails with a Curator YT series from the Frick. It's a great in-depth discussion of pieces from the collection.
posted by orrnyereg at 6:49 AM on February 3 [2 favorites]


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