In her honour, I chose to go to the Frick Collection. This collection is housed in steel magnate Henry Clay Frick's former mansion on 70th and 5th Avenue. Very nice address, Henry. I went with my friend Sean. We crashed into friends of his by the fountain in the inner courtyard. Always nice to have a small world experience whilst appearing cultured.
I like seeing collections in the position that the collector left them. I know we don't always get this opportunity and it can be argued that this statue there was quite happy in the church in Spain that it was possibly plundered from and this tapestry should be in Holland and not New York, but being in Henry's library surrounded by his Joshua Reynolds as he once was, adds another dimension to the viewing for me.
I had been to see this amazing collection once before when I was visiting New York. I was so moved and blown away that I bought the coffee table book. The art work this man amassed is impressive and I SO love his sensibility I have to see at the risk of sounding like a total wanker/ponce.
I also appreciate that Mr. Frick was not just a man who made a butt load of dough, but valued art and reading.
I want to be more like him. I will start with a place in the East 70s thank you. And then I will read.
Mistress and Maid by Vermeer, 1666-1667I love this painting in Frick's gallery room. The color and light in person are striking. He has 3 Vermeers which is considered a lot since Johannes didn't produce much!
St. Francis in the Desert by Bellini 1480. This hangs in Henry's mahogany paneled sitting room. I was so moved by this one. It depicts St. Francis receiving the stigmata from God. It is a a very powerful painting I must say.
1 comment:
I love that collection. I saw it with an art history PhD who told me that Bellini is arguably the only renaissance masterpiece in the US. Don't know if that's true, but it's still great.
I love the Whistlers.
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