Aside from the Queen’s Gallery exhibitions in London, I don’t think we have seen such an outstanding private collection of artworks in one place as that of the Frick Collection.
Hans Holbein the Younger, was followed by Bruegel the Elder, Titian, Turner, Degas, van Dyke, Rembrandt and Vermeer. The exhaustive list goes on. Photography was not allowed inside the galleries of the Frick Collection as the artworks are all original, but just a few we found especially delightful follow and can be found on the internet.
Hans Holbein the Younger, ‘Sir Thomas More’ – oh, the realistic painting of the fur, the folds in the velvet and More’s stubble.
John Constable’s ‘Salisbury Cathedral’ – such detailed architecture.
Diego Velazquez’s ‘King Philip IV of Spain’ – the artist’s works are rarely seen outside Spain and this is considered to be one of Frick’s most important acquisitions.
Some of the first images visitors see when entering the gallery’s Boucher room are exquisite wall paintings of very young children taking on the role of adults demonstrating various activities in the arts and sciences. These include the children as sculptors, architects, chemists, horticulturalists, astronomers and actors, all painted by Francois Boucher, circa 1760. A virtual tour of these paintings in the Boucher Room can be found on the Frick website.
There were also incredible sculptures, Sevres porcelain, clocks and furniture – all rare and in keeping with this magnificent collection.
But how did all these items come together for this exhibition? The collector, Henry Clay Frick (1849-1919) was a wealthy man. He came from modest beginnings, born in Pennsylvania the son of an immigrant farmer. He worked his way up to become a book-keeper and later, with a cousin, invested in the local coal beds rich in high-grade bituminous coal which was just what the growing iron and steel industries needed.
Within a decade Frick was producing almost 80% of the coke used by these industries in Pittsburg. He later went into partnership in the steel industry, and in time was considered to be the largest individual stockholder in the railway industry – not just in America, but the world.
Frick acquired the site on 70th street in New York in 1913 paying almost $6 million for the land, house construction and interior fixtures. His extensive art collection was additional to this sum. This is a large amount today, let alone at the turn of the 1900s.
It was considered that Frick had intended his collection and home would become a gallery. In 1919, following his death, the property and artworks became the Frick Collection supported by a $15 million endowment, but there was the proviso that none of the works left the gallery. Today, artworks are loaned worldwide, but these are items added to the collection following his death. Family members continue as trustees.
We spent four hours at the gallery absorbed by the detailed content of the audio guide. The only thing lacking was a cafe, which would have provided a welcome break, but there are plans for this next year.
The gallery overlooks Central Park, which we also visited. Its oblong shape gives the impression that the interior will be flat, but that is far from the situation. Undulating land, trees, lawns, walkways, ornamental bridges and roads (for horse-drawn vehicles and rickshaw bikes) are a pull for joggers, dog walkers and cyclists in a city rather lacking in parkland.
Some sources say Central Park’s design was influenced by Joseph Paxton’s Birkenhead Park in the UK, laid out in 1847. One of its designers was British born architect Calvert Vaux (1824-1895) who won a competition with US agriculturalist Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) to design the park which opened in 1858.
Supper was also a treat, visiting Michelin star-awarded restaurant Sushi Yasuda, to catch up with family whom we had not seen in decades. We chose the omakase (chef’s selection) through which we were introduced to the creativity, mixture of tastes and culinary experiences provided by this New York establishment.
Most surprising was sea urchin, which had an unusual texture but lovely fresh fishy taste. Other delights included raw mackerel, salmon, tuna, clams and scallops. Some were served as ‘sushi’ (with rice), or ‘sashimi’ (without rice). One dish was served in ‘nori’ (a sheet of dried seaweed).
Accompanying this was shoyu (soy sauce), wasabi (Japanese root which was much milder than served in the UK and so did not detract from the other dishes) and bari (sweet pickled ginger). The restaurant staff helpfully advised that these three items are eaten in moderation and not mixed together, so as to retain the delicate balance of the different fish provided. The evening was a sheer delight and the chef’s expertise is highly recommended.
Copyright: Words and photos Sue Barnard 2019