Tuesday, September 15, 2015

The Frick Collection



Once I decided to stay over Saturday night, I started to think what I wanted to do on Sunday. I thought about going to the Met. I'd been there in April so I decided to see another museum. I finally decided on seeing the Frick Collection.

It is also right by Central Park. And is not too far from the Met. I thought I could see the Frick and then if I had time go to the Met.

I really liked the collection. I also liked the fact you got a free audio guide to the collection. The majority of the exhibits were part of the guide so you got to find out useful information on each one.

You are not allowed to take pictures except for in the court yard. It is a interesting collection put together by Henry Clay Frick. A little of the history:
A visit to The Frick Collection evokes the splendor and tranquility of a time gone by and at the same time testifies to the power of great art collections to inspire viewers today. Housed in the New York City mansion built by Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919), one of America's most successful industrialists, are masterpieces of Western painting, sculpture, and decorative art, displayed in a serene and intimate setting. Each of the Collection's sixteen permanent galleries offers a unique presentation of artworks arranged for the most part without regard to period or national origin, akin to the way Mr. Frick enjoyed the art he loved before bequeathing it to the public.

Both the mansion and the works within it serve as a monument to one of America's greatest art collectors. Built in 1913-14 from designs by the firm Carrère and Hastings, the house is set back from Fifth Avenue by an elevated garden punctuated by three magnificent magnolia trees. Since Mr. Frick's death in 1919, the Collection has expanded both its physical dimensions and its holdings. Approximately one-third of the pictures have been acquired since then, and three times — in 1931–35, 1977, and in 2011 — the building has been enlarged to better serve the public.
 In the collection are two paintings by Hans Holbein one of Sir Thomas Moore and the other of Thomas Cromwell. Both of whom were characters in Wolf Hall. The paintings are in the same room and are facing each other.




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