Latest news with #TheFrickCollection
Time Out
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This is the best attraction in NYC right now, according to Time Out
New Yorkers are spoiled for choice when it comes to things to do. From massive museums to quirkier options, you'd have to visit a different cultural institution every weekend to scratch the surface. But here at Time Out, it's our job as professional culture vultures to visit every single one to discover what's new and what's outstanding. We've journeyed across the five boroughs to bring you our list of New York City's best attractions, freshly updated for August 2025. And we're coming at you with a brand-new number one that you must add to your list. Right now, the top attraction in New York City is The Frick Collection, which houses an awe-inspiring assemblage of art from the 1400s to the 1800s. It's the only NYC attraction where you can see an impressive collection of Renaissance art inside the palatial home of the art collector, and that alone would earn it the top spot—but it also houses a five-star restaurant. This opulent Upper East Side mansion-turned-museum had been closed for five years, and it reopened this spring with the addition of 10 new galleries inside the formerly off-limits second story. Before it was a museum, the entire mansion was home to the family of Henry Clay Frick, a steel magnate from Pittsburgh. Even after Frick bequeathed the building and his vast art collection to the public, the second floor of the building remained closed. This area, which previously served as the family's private quarters, included bedrooms, a breakfast room and several sitting rooms. Now, you can pretend to live like a Frick as you wander from room to room imagining what it was like to live in this resplendent home. Despite the incredible wealth that practically drips from floor to ceiling, the mansion doesn't feel stuffy. Instead, the space feels warm and inviting—like you're visiting a benevolent, rich uncle's house. On the second floor, don't miss two period rooms designed to look as they did in 1935. There's the Boucher Room, a fancy sitting room with decorative wall panels and a grand fireplace. Also visit the Breakfast Room, adorned with blue wallpaper and filled with Barbizon-style art said to remind Frick of his Southwestern Pennsylvania roots. In addition to opening up the second floor, the renovation restored existing galleries on the first floor as well. You'll find pieces by world-class artists, including Rembrandt, Vermeer, Renoir, Monet, Manet, Degas and so many more. Sculptural pieces dot each room as well, along with ornate furniture. The ground floor is home to a reflecting pool, which draws crowds for photos. It's the only place in the museum where photography is allowed. Also don't miss dining at Westmoreland, which is less of a museum cafe and more of a full-scale restaurant in a museum. Our restaurant reviewer gave it five stars, calling it 'precisely the elevated, straightforward spot you need to rest after a day spent among the art.' Be sure to make a reservation. When I visited The Frick Collection recently on a pay-what-you-wish afternoon, a line snaked around the front entrance, and the energy inside was buzzy. We New Yorkers and tourists may have never gotten an invite to a ball at the Frick's mansion, but shuffling through the home's hallways is the next best thing. And right now, it's the best thing to do in NYC. Hours and pricing The Frick Collection is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday from 10:30am to 5:30pm. It'' also open on Fridays with extended hours from 10:30am to 8:30pm. Adult tickets cost $30 per person. Pay-what-you-wish admission is available on Wednesdays from 1:30 to 5:30pm. No matter when you visit, you'll need to book tickets in advance. Time Out tips Remember when we said that visiting is kind of like dropping by an rich uncle's house? Well, that comes with rules—a lot of them. It's best to know the rules in advance, so there are no surprises. Here are a few things that aren't allowed: kids under age 10; food and drinks; carrying coats (you must wear or check your coat); and the use of pens or colored pencils. Most difficult in this day and age: no photography. The only place you can take photos is in the Garden Court and other public spaces outside of the galleries.
Forbes
05-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
The Frick Collection: Enjoy Art In A Historic Gilded Age Setting
Entrance Hall, The Frick Collection, New York © Nicholas Venezia The Frick Collection reopened on Manhattan's Upper East Side this spring after a five-year, $220 million renovation and expansion. Even if the walls were bare and there were no furnishings inside, this house museum and its gardens would be well worth visiting. The Bouchet Room, once a sitting room in the home The Frick Collection, New York ©2025 Located on the corner of Fifth Avenue and East 70th Street opposite Central Park, the museum is housed in a spectacular Gilded Age mansion, once the home of industrialist, financier, and art collector Henry Clay Frick. Frick lived there with his wife, Adelaide Howard Childs Frick, their daughter, and their 27 servants who lived on the third floor. An architectural gem, the house was designed in 1914 by Carrere and Hastings, who also designed the main branch of the New York Public Library. With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious. The ambitious and painstaking restoration of the building's interiors and exteriors was led by Annabelle Selldorf, principal of Selldorf Architects. She and her team aimed to respect the building's historical elements while updating its infrastructure to meet modern needs and sensibilities. 'I believe that this careful blending of old and new will make people feel even more welcome as they return to—or discover for the first time—the Frick, its collection, and its beautiful setting,' said Selldorf in the press release announcing the reopening. Visiting The Frick Collection Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), Mistress and Maid, oil on canvas (ca. 1664-1667) The Frick Collection, New York ©2022 One could spend several hours or days at the museum, depending on available time and personal interest. The permanent collection is impressive, boasting some 1,800 works of fine and decorative art. More than half of the permanent holdings are part of Mr. Frick's vast original collection of Old Masters, family portraits, and other paintings, medals, ceramics, sculptures, clocks and watches, and decorative objects. The rest of the holdings were acquired through purchases and donations from private collectors. While Mr. Frick's invaluable art collection undoubtedly helped elevate his social status, the man had a genuine passion for the arts, and he always planned for the mansion on Fifth Avenue to become a public museum after his death. One biographer quotes Mr. Frick saying: 'I think [art collecting] is a great thing for a man to do. It has given me more real pleasure than anything I have ever engaged in, outside of business.' Noteworthy temporary installations at the museum this season include a special commission of life-like porcelain plants and flowers by sculptor Vladimir Kanevsy, and the debut this spring of a trio of three compelling oils, Vermeer's Love Letters . Because each of the galleries is intimate in size, the scale of the mansion always feels human. Timed entry tickets prevent overcrowding, with even fewer people typically visiting on weekdays, early mornings, and late afternoons. Great care was paid to the seamless flow of patrons from room to room as well as the excellent lighting of the holdings. Well-informed docents or security staff are present in each gallery, but no physical barriers (like stanchions) separate paintings and many decorative objects from viewers. This allows visitors to get close to works of art. For those who want to linger, it's easy to find settees where they can sit, observe and rest. A free Frick Mobile Visitor Guide—made possible through the philanthropy of Bloomberg Connects is accessible by scanning a QR code from smartphones. It offers introductions to each work of art with commentary by curators (free Wi-Fi is available throughout the museum). Rediscovering The Frick View from the 70th Street garden of The Frick Collection © Nicholas Venezia Because The Frick Collection is one of the most inspiring sanctuaries in the city, many art lovers find ways to support the museum through membership and other programs. Those who are museum members or other repeat visitors will be impressed by the renovations, the most significant upgrade to The Frick Collection since it opened to the public in 1935. These upgrades include: Additions to the original building to accommodate new exhibition galleries and offices An expansion of the Frick Art Research Library, a resource for scholars that includes books, periodicals, auction catalogs, and other digital resources. Restoration of the viewing garden on East 70th Street to its original design by British architect Russell Paige (it had to be removed to renovate the building) Improvements to the Garden Court (the second of three green spaces at the Frick), including restoration of the light-filled curvilinear ceiling, refurbishment of the limestone interior and fountain, and replanting of the garden Excavation of a below-ground space for a new 218-seat Auditorium for lectures and performances A purpose-built education center on the ground floor Infrastructure upgrades, including improved accessibility 'With the return of the Frick's masterworks to their revitalized home, we welcome visitors to rediscover the beauty, intimacy, and scholarship that have defined the Frick for nearly a century and that we hope will inspire generations of visitors to come,' stated Axel Ruger, the new Frick's Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director. For residents of the metro area and tourists, The Frick Collection offers a peaceful sanctuary amid the always bustling, energetic city. Visit, relax, unwind, and allow your mind and imagination to enjoy and explore the beauty of this world-class institution. If you haven't already seen the excellent YouTube video, Welcome to the Frick , narrated by Steve Martin , click below. The video received 85,000 views in its first week online.
The Star
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
In New York, Vermeer delivers the art of the love letter - sealed with a brush
Vermeer's 'Mistress And Maid' draws a visitor's gaze at The Frick Collection preview in New York, part of a three-painting exhibit exploring the art of seduction through the written word. Photo: AFP In a special exhibit featuring just three paintings, the Frick Collection in New York is inviting viewers to contemplate the age and the art of seduction by the written word. The show brings together a trio of paintings by 17th century Dutch master Johannes Vermeer: the Frick's own Mistress And Maid, The Love Letter on loan from the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and Woman Writing A Letter With Her Maid from the National Gallery of Ireland. They are three of six paintings by Vermeer (1632-1675) that focus on the reading and writing of letters. They also depict interactions between women of different classes. Each painting features a woman and a female servant who has likely become a confidante and an intermediary as her mistress conducts a romantic relationship, said exhibit curator Robert Fucci. "While the contents of the letters in Vermeer's paintings are not made clear, they are most likely amorous," he said. "Courtship and love letters were an important part of the artist's social context and a prevalent artistic theme." In Vermeer's era, women had increasing autonomy in choosing their life partners, Fucci noted. "Servants played a crucial role. Employers entrusted them with delivery, especially when messages needed to be shared covertly," he added. A debt with the baker Vermeer's Love Letters, on view until the end of August, is the first show on offer since the Frick reopened its doors in April following a top-to-bottom, US$330mil (RM1.4bil) renovation. The 20th century mansion filled with paintings, sculptures, and decorative pieces dating from the Renaissance to the 19th century now has 10 new galleries on its second floor, in what used to be the Frick family's private quarters. Two of the Vermeer paintings – worth a fortune today – helped the artist's wife, Catharina Bolnes, settle a debt with a baker after she was widowed with 11 children. The show is the first of the Dutch master's works in New York since 2001. The intimate offering is in sharp contrast to the sprawling Vermeer retrospective at the Rijksmuseum in 2023. Featuring 28 of his 35 known paintings, that was the largest collection of Vermeer's work ever assembled in one place, and drew thousands of art lovers. "Vermeer certainly continues to compel people and to inspire people today," said Aimee Ng, another curator at the Frick. – AFP
The Guardian
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From Joyce's death mask to Bono's sunglasses: a look around the Little Museum of Dublin's grand curiosities
There are certain museums around the world that go beyond their role of housing artefacts and somehow seem to act as portals to the past. The Frick Collection in New York and Marcel Proust's cork-lined bedroom at the Musée Carnavalet in Paris both hum with a timeless energy that transcends the exhibits on display. The Little Museum of Dublin is also such a space. The Guardian's journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. Within seconds of ascending the stairs of this beautiful four-storey Georgian townhouse at 15 St Stephen's Green, a different era appears to take hold. The modern world disappears and I imagine myself back in Georgian times, when this red-bricked terrace was built along with so many of the beautiful squares and parks throughout the city centre. Dubliner Trevor White persuaded Dublin city council to lend him this building back in 2011 to open the first museum in the city dedicated to all things Dublin. Armed with a great idea and no collection, he took to the airwaves and asked the listeners of the beloved Marian Finucane show on RTÉ (Ireland's national broadcaster) to trawl through their attics and cupboards for one-of-a-kind curiosities and mementoes relating to the Irish capital. More than 1,000 exhibits flooded in, ranging from a pair of Bono's iconic sunglasses to a ticket for the only Dublin concerts the Beatles played, in 1963. James Joyce's death mask was donated along with a first edition of Ulysses. A bottle of unopened lemonade rescued from the wreck of a mail boat torpedoed off Dublin during the first world war was offered for display coupled with an unopened jar of Sudocrem from 1931 (the antiseptic cream was invented in the city). A 1980s ledger from a nearby Magdalene laundry (where pregnant, unmarried women were forced into servitude) was unearthed with listed clients including the president's residence and state agencies. All the items were carefully curated according to the decade of their provenance and exhibited throughout the museum's high-ceilinged rooms. The museum became an immediate hit with locals and visitors and more than a million people have taken the 29-minute guided tour of the exhibits over the past 14 years. Tripadvisor rates it as the third best visitor attraction in Ireland, and the 12th best in Europe. I often find myself there, early on a Sunday morning, when very little else is open in the city, sitting in the recreation of Irish Times editor Bertie Smyllie's office on the top floor with views across Stephen's Green to the Dublin mountains. Eccentric Bertie pedalled his bicycle to the newspaper until 1954 with a typewriter balanced on his handlebars. He was responsible for championing many of Ireland's greatest writers including Patrick Kavanagh and Flann O'Brien. Next door, in the U2 room, I like to pick out the teenage incarnations of the band from a black-and-white class photo at Mount Temple, the school where they famously first met as schoolboys. This photo, just like this museum as a whole, brings a sense that the past can still be accessed. As visitor numbers rocketed, the museum sought funding to expand its exhibits and shop into the basement and garden and to install a long-overdue lift to provide universal access to all the floors. After a year of renovations, at a cost of €4.3m, the museum reopened on 5 June with a new library and archive, a screening room and a new exhibition of fearless women snaking up the stairwell, taking its cue from a quote by President Mary Robinson: 'I was elected by the women of Ireland, who instead of rocking the cradle, rocked the system.' One of the world's finest doll's houses has taken up residence on the first floor. Modelled on Leinster House round the corner, the seat of the Irish government, Tara's Palace took more than 20 years to build and it has been given to the museum along with a slew of new donations to celebrate the reopening. President Mary McAleese has sent in her rosary beads; the original maquette for the sculpture of singer Luke Kelly (of the Dubliners fame) in the Docklands has found a perch; and a whole room of wild and wonderful taxidermied animals with a Dublin connection have taken up residence. In 1988, Dublin marked the millennium of its founding with a year-long celebration of civic events. Many homes in the city still proudly display a famous milk bottle from this time, embossed with the Dublin City coat of arms, and you can find one of these on a mantelpiece at the museum. After decades of neglect and inner-city dereliction, 1988 marked a sea change in how many Dubliners viewed their capital. Trevor White also traces the igniting of his passion for Dublin to this time. Everything he has worked for at the Little Museum of Dublin, along with his equally passionate team, has been designed to inspire an ongoing appreciation and love of Dublin, the little city that could. Little Museum of Dublin is open 9.30am to 5pm, with the guided tour bookable for €18,
Epoch Times
06-05-2025
- General
- Epoch Times
Fantastical Porcelain Florals at The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection's reopening after a five-year renovation has been heralded as a triumph. One of the wondrous things about visiting the museum right now is its special exhibition 'Porcelain Garden: Vladimir Kanevsky at The Frick Collection,' on view through Oct. 6, 2025. Installed throughout the museum's premises, including galleries on both the first and second floor and the Garden Court, are 19 breathtakingly intricate floral installations by the Ukrainian-born Kanevsky. Cohesively installed alongside diverse fine and decorative arts from the institution's permanent collection, these sculptures range in scale, form, and color. Each one enchants the viewer with its special blend of botanical accuracy and artistry. Kanevky's Floral Displays "Lemon Tree," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky is installed in the Garden Court. Soft-paste porcelain, parian body, glazes, and copper. The Frick Collection, New York City. (Joseph Coscia Jr.) Kanevsky was born in 1951 in Kharkiv, Ukraine, then part of the Soviet Union, but now lives and works in Fort Lee, New Jersey. While living in Russia, he studied architecture and sculpture, which proved to be integral foundations for his later porcelain practice. In 1989, he immigrated to New York—he had only $100 and spoke no English. Kanevsky took another leap of faith when he responded to a job ad for an artist who could produce an 18th-century porcelain tureen in the shape of a melon. He attempted the commission, which came from a prominent interior designer with a shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side. The piece was a success. Then, Kanevsky explored porcelain flowers, as he had been fascinated by botany since childhood. Detail of Vladimir Kanevsky's "Lemon Tree," 2024–2025, in the Frick's Garden Court. (Joseph Coscia Jr.) He compares floral structures to architecture, and he enjoys the technical challenges inherent in his work, which has been exhibited internationally, from Saint Petersburg's State Hermitage Museum to Washington's Hillwood Estate, Museum & Gardens. Tastemakers and style icons, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Oscar de la Renta, Valentino, and Martha Stewart have collected his work. Kanevsky says that 'Flowers are arguably the most prevalent topic in the history of art and architecture. Their cultural and symbolic significance offered infinite possibilities for artists.' His work is greatly inspired by traditional European porcelain dating to the 18th century, of which the Frick has a superb collection. The museum possesses examples from the leading French, German, and Viennese makers. An exquisite tableau in the exhibition inserts three Kanevsky tulips with delicate petals into a Du Paquier Manufactory vase. Each flower the artist makes is meticulously sculpted and hand-painted. Related Stories 4/30/2025 4/20/2025 "Tulip Stems," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky is installed in the Du Paquier Passage. Soft-paste porcelain, glazes, overglaze, and copper. The Frick Collection, New York City. (Joseph Coscia Jr.) A Tribute to Helen Frick The exhibition, the culmination of a three-year collaboration between the artist and the Frick's curatorial team, is an homage to the museum's floral displays from its original 1935 opening. At that time, Henry Clay Frick's daughter, Helen, chose each room's fresh floral arrangement. "Lilies of the Valley," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky are installed in the Boucher Room. Soft-paste porcelain, parian body, and copper. The Frick Collection, New York City. (Joseph Coscia Jr.) Xavier F. Salomon, the Frick's Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, commends Kanevsky's tribute to the museum's 1935 inaugural floral displays. He says that the Contemporary artist's 'porcelain creations allow us to honor this tradition—along with the museum's important collections of historic porcelain and ceramics. His artistry bridges past and present, echoing the museum's longstanding dedication to beauty and innovation.' In two of the galleries, Kanevsky has repeated Helen's selections with his installation of camellias in the Library and lilies of the valley in the Boucher Room, part of the newly opened second-floor family rooms. "Lilies of the Valley," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky are installed in the Boucher Room. Soft-paste porcelain, parian body, and copper. The Frick Collection, New York City. Joseph Coscia Jr. The other porcelain works honor Helen's intentions while juxtaposing different plants and flowers with the displayed art, inspiring reflection and conversation among viewers. One poignant tribute is the vibrant and ripe 'Pomegranate Plant' in the Gold-Grounds Room. After her father's death, Helen pursued acquiring religious Early Italian Renaissance paintings with gold leaf surfaces to add to t he Frick's holdings. Post-renovation, these works have been assembled together for display in her former bedroom. "Pomegranate Plant," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky is installed in the Gold-Grounds Room. Soft-paste porcelain, glazes, copper, and terracotta. The Frick Collection, New York City. Joseph Coscia Jr. 'Pomegranate Plant' is dramatically situated in front of the room's mantle. The Frick writes that the sculpture 'is a tribute to a plant whose fruits are frequently represented in early Italian paintings and would have been well known by the artists represented in this gallery.' Above the mantle is a small but sumptuous picture by Gentile da Fabriano (circa 1370– 1427), who is considered among the greatest painters of his era. Born in the Marches region, he worked throughout Italy, from Milan and Rome to Venice and Tuscany. Patrons included the pope and the doge. His lyrical, highly detailed paintings are characterized by delicate brushwork, rich colors, and elaborate textile patterns. Additionally, Gentile was highly skilled in the application and tooling of gold leaf backgrounds. The Frick's ' ' dates from 1423 to 1425 and may have been made for a private patron's family chapel. At its center is the Madonna with the Christ Child, rendered in elegant, flowing lines. Gentile's advanced interest in naturalism is visible in the realistic, portrait-like heads of Saint Lawrence at left and Saint Julian the Hospitaler at right. Fragonard Room The Fragonard Room on the museum's first floor displays 14 panels by the French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Joseph Coscia Jr. In contrast to the Gold-Grounds Room, the first floor Fragonard Room was assembled during Henry Clay Frick's lifetime and has been a visitor favorite at the museum since its opening. Initially, Mr. and Mrs. Frick used the space as their Drawing Room. A year after their mansion was finished in 1914, they acquired a set of lovely panels by the French artist Jean-Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806), which required the reconfiguration of the room. These panels are considered among the most romantic explorations of love in all of art history. Specifically selected furniture and objets d'art were subsequently added to enhance Fragonard's artworks. The Rococo artist Fragonard was born in Grasse, located in southern France. He trained in Paris under the distinguished painters Je an-S iméon Chardin and François Boucher and became one of the most important French artists of the second half of the 18th century. Fragonard produced a large body of work that included easel paintings and large-scale decorative panels often of genre scenes. "The Progress of Love: Love Letters," 1771–1772, by Jean-Honoré Fragonard. Oil on canvas; 124 7/8 inches by 85 3/8 inches. The Frick Collection, New York City. Joseph Coscia Jr. The Frick's Fragonard Room collection features 14 pictures, with the series referred to as 'The Progress of Love.' The four principal scenes—'The Pursuit,' 'The Meeting,' 'The Lover Crowned,' and 'Love Letters'—date to a 1771 to 1772 commission. The patroness was the infamous Madame du Barry, King Louis XV of France's last mistress, and the intended setting for the works was the music pavilion of her château west of Paris. However, perhaps due to society's changing artistic tastes, she declined the finished works. Instead, they were kept, probably rolled up, by Fragonard in Paris for 20 years. Upon his move to a cousin's villa in Grasse, the canvases were finally installed. Fragonard created an additional 10 pictures to fill the house's main salon. Over 100 years later, the series passed through the hands of English dealers before selling to American financier J.P. Morgan. After his death, the powerful art dealer Joseph Duveen purchased them for $1.25 million (over $31 million today) and sold them in turn to Henry Clay Frick at cost. Kanevsky has created a lush assemblage of cascading roses for this room, as well as displays of white hyacinths. "Cascading Roses," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky are installed in the Fragonard Room. Parian body, copper, and terracotta. The Frick Collection, New York City. Joseph Coscia Jr. The sculptures in 'Porcelain Garden: Vladimir Kanevsky at The Frick Collection' induce awe and wonder. They help physically define the museum's spaces, both old and new, and enhance communication with the permanent collection. The flowers are so lifelike that one can almost smell the bouquets, and careful examination reveals imitation insect holes on some of the leaves. Kanevsky says, 'There is everything in flowers—history, drama, structure, beauty, and fragrance.' The same can be said about the Frick Collection and its special exhibition. "Cherry Blossoms," 2024–2025, by Vladimir Kanevsky are displayed in the Oval Room alongside James McNeill Whistler's 1871–1874 Joseph Coscia Jr. 'Porcelain Garden: Vladimir Kanevsky at The Frick Collection' exhibition runs through Oct. 6, 2025 in New York City. To find out more, visit What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to
