Frick Collection

12/29/2012

What a great museum. I love everything from the history to the layout to the pieces (of course). It's definitely a hidden treasure, so it's still mostly without huge crowds of tourists that don't have much of an appreciation for art (met, moma). This place is the real deal, attracting art lovers locally and from around the world. They are really strict on their taking pictures policy, even if you're slick, they'll catch you. Definitely check this place out. It was so nice I'm considering joining as a member.

2/23/2013

Small, but beautiful collection.  Well worth visiting.  Nice location on Central Park.  We enjoyed our visit.

10/31/2011

Beautiful NYC treasure. This private home from the gilded home was left to all citizens to enjoy for all time. The furnishings and art will take your breath away. A smaller attraction, so you can visit when you want to do something low key. There is no place to eat on site here. Keep that in mind!

2/25/2013

Beautiful building, inside and out. Must check your coat (if you're not going to wear it) as well as backpacks and other large bags. Long line for tickets but it moves quickly (dont forget to use your uni ID if you have one!) Free audio tour on handheld devices provides interesting information that doesnt drag on.
Differents forms of art (paintings, sculptures, furniture, etc) in different styles Italian Renaissance, French Impressionism, Baroque and so much more) many from famous artists that anyone would know.
My advice to you would be to have Sunday brunch at st. ambroeus, head to Frick Collection for several hours (get in on the Sunday sketch action) and afterwards spend some time shopping on Madison and/or strolling in the park.

12/4/2012

Despite living in or near Manhattan for several decades, I never made it to the Frick until this past summer, and am I glad I did.  Walking through this opulent mansion, and experiencing the way moguls onced lived, is in and of itself reason to go.  They have free audio guides, and a film on Henry Clay Frick  (one-time partner of Andrew Carnegie), whom I knew nothing about before visiting.  They have a wonderful collection of the old masters.  What a wonderful way to to spend a lazy summer (or any season) afternoon.

4/16/2011

This is one of my favorite locations in NYC to play "pretend I live here."

This is a beautiful museum in a beautiful building that was formerly a single-family mansion on the UES.  I wish we could see more of the mansion itself, but only two levels are open to the public (which totally excludes me from picking out which bedroom would be mine!) but the artwork is special enough to get me past all that.  The Rembrandt exhibit was lovely.  I cannot believe it took me this long to get to the museum while living so close by.  The furniture is amazing in itself.  This is a must see!  I love the smaller museums of the City as much as the larger ones!

6/5/2011

There are several reasons why this museum is a must see:

1) Size. It is much smaller than the typical 'must-see' museum, and is totally manageable for one afternoon's worth of viewing. You don't get overwhelmed and feel the need to rush to see everything, and this makes the visit that much more enjoyable.

2) The Works. Although the museum is relatively small, this does not take away from the splendor of the pieces on display. Almost every single piece is literally jaw dropping.

3) The Audio Guide. If, like me, you lack in classical education and can use a little help from those more learned in the fine arts, there is a complimentary audio guide available at the entrance. A lot of the paintings (and sometimes the pieces of furniture or whole rooms) have an audio-guide number associated with them, which allows you to find the commentary by one of the museum curators. A lot of museums have this feature, but I was particularly impressed with the one at the Frick by how accessible the information was to someone with little prior knowledge of the subject matter. The curators did a very good job of making me understand exactly why each piece is so exciting.

4) The Building. The museum building was built with the purpose of displaying the collection, and it shows. The pictures are complemented by the shapes of the rooms, the positions of the windows, even the choice of colors for the carpets and curtains seem to bring out a little extra from each room. The Boucher room in particular is a stunning blend of painting and architecture.

5) Gift shop. Very small but excellent gift shop. Many of the more notable pieces are available as posters or post cards.

Over all, the time and money is very well spent here.

6/30/2011

There are so many things to like about this museum. You can admire the architecture of the building itself, the astonishingly beautiful portraits, the dazzling landscape paintings, the sculptures, or even the collection of books that grace some of the Frick's wings. The works run the gamut, from Velázquez-my favorite-to Reynolds, to Del Greco, to some 19th century American painters.

Other than the parts of the collection that were on loan, there wasn't anything that I missed, which is another great aspect of the Frick. It's a museum that you can cover in a day, yet still want to return to in the future. I only regret waiting so long to come back here.

8/19/2011

The first & the last time I visited The Frick was on a Sunday when anyone can pay as they wish.  It is a mini-mansion turned to a museum, but the art collection was not impressive.  I could tell how really old this place has been, because the floor carpeting SMELLED like it needed a lot of cleaning.  

Honestly, if I would compare The Frick to the MET, the MET is a much better museum that showcases more beautiful and more impressive art collection.  Also, most importantly, the MET doesn't smell.

7/6/2011

My favorite museum in New York.  It's not as well known despite the impressive selection of artwork, the majority are originals to the collection.

An artist friend gave me a tour and explained how the collection evolved.  It's fascinating that a steel magnate collected such beautiful works so he could sit on any of the numerous sofas and look at his artwork.  He said it gave him perspective and peace.

11/25/2012

Outstanding architecture and art!

10/17/2012

Very interesting museum/townhouse. I think the house is already an art in itself, and it's a very organized and elegant museum space. Mostly classic European paintings and portraits :)

12/26/2012

a great collection in a most amazing mansion. It was small and intimate and easy to get around quickly. I loved the decor and furnishings in the various rooms. Beautiful colors. Admissions price was pretty steep but it was worth it.

7/26/2009

If you're interested in classic paintings, furniture, sculpture, and art in general, this is better than the MET in a lot of ways.  It's smaller for starters, and more intimate.

If you really know what you wanna see, check online before you go:
collections.frick.org

Also be sure to get a headset as that's the only way to get a real tour of the place.  You can jump around and dial up just the piece you want history on.

You'll enjoy it even if you're not an art history major, although besides El Greco, Degas, Rembrandt, and Holbein I did not know a lot of the artists.  You'll find works by Bellini, Goya, Constable, Ruisdael and many many more.  And yes, it's a perfect date spot!

10/9/2012

This is a very awesome museum to visit! There is more of a comfort in this museum compared to the big ones in the City. The audio tour is very informative and if you're already impressed with the collection, this will give you a keen description of each of the pieces. There are student discounts, also.

6/17/2011

I'm bored with reading a lot of people's reviews so I'm only going to write mine in Haiku-like form from now on.  This one's a double Haiku.

The Frick is charming
A cool house with famous art
I loved the patio

The best is the arm
on the Jean-August-Ingres
It doesn't make sense

12/9/2011

On a weekday when I walked past the Guggenheim which had a line across the front of the building, the Met which was besieged by yellow school busses offloading children like a cattle drive, and MOMA which had a line that almost reached Sixth Avenue, the Frick peacefully had no line.

The permanent collection is wonderfully set in the home of an Industrial Revolution magnate who loved art. Much like Henry Huntington is Pasadena, Frick collected a number of Gainsborough portraits, but was the works aren't as strong. He also collected a few good Turner paintings, one very nice Corot landscape, and huge-canvas Rembrandts that are exceptional.

The special exhibit during my one visit was Picasso's drawings. It was displayed downstairs in two tiny galleries. I like the exhibit, but didn't like the cumbersome rooms.

Because the museum was once a residence, the building itself becomes part of the collection. I enjoyed wandering through the rooms like I was a house guest, rather than a museum visitor. The atrium garden is a nice room, but the cheap plastic plants need to go. If real plants can't be sustained in the room, then replace them with something else decorative. The upstairs was off-limits.

Children under 10 are not admitted (because kids always carry proof of age documents like a birth certificate or driver's license.)  Yelp categorizes this place as an "art gallery" which is a subcategory of "shopping". They do not sell art here and should be listed as a "museum".

9/21/2012

Beautiful setting, small collection. It's a meditative experience to sit by the fountain, which lullabies you with the pitter-patter of water.

7/27/2011

Very interesting museum. I would suggest taking one of the walking tours to learn more about the museum & some of the pieces inside the museum. The museum is very small. It should only take you about 60-90 minutes to see the whole place.

8/31/2012

I found this listed on Trip Adviser and it gave it better reviews than the MET because of the limited collection and high quality (you can see everything in 3 or 4 hours vs. several days at the MET, something most people can't mange on a trip). We came to see the art and we were just as impressed with the home and history behind the site/collection as well. It is really a must see.

6/2/2011

The beautiful Frick Collection is worth a visit, particularly for those seeking a more manageable museum experience, and it's an absolute must for anyone that would do better with an Art 101 option. All the high-quality art can be viewed comfortably in two hours, and features paintings from the old masters - those great European artists that most folks already are, or should be, familiar with. Self-made millionaire Henry Clay Frick intentionally designed this mansion to house his beloved paintings, so the ornate furniture and grand architecture should be enjoyed as well, as pieces of art themselves. Just approaching the Frick will alert you to take notice of the designs within; in a city built vertically, with skyscrapers bursting upwards on every block, this home was built lengthwise, stretching horizontally instead. It's an unexpected, and welcome, feeling for NYC.

The art itself is only minimally labeled, and placards feature two details: the painting's name and the artist. This was meant to help museum-goers experience the mansion in the way that Frick did, he lived there a few years before his death, but I personally craved more context. The addition of the year would be a subtle, though important, add. But an easy-to-use audio guide provides interesting insights, and perhaps helped to craft this into the very unique experience I enjoyed.

9/20/2011

My kids were done with museums after spending the day at the Met, so I visited the Frick Collection alone.  It was fabulous! The best part is the FREE portable phone type apparatus they give you when you enter the museum.  Most of the exhibits (paintings, furniture, statues) have a number on them.  You punch the number into your phone and get to listen to a 2 - 5 minute informative talk on the item.  I enjoyed the little personal "blurbs" about the item -- like the one telling you to look for the
little windmill in the background of a picture of the crucifixion!

I enjoyed the mix n match of the genres of art...no endless rooms of portraits or impressionists.  Everything is mixed up -- like a REAL house (which it is).

A lovely 2 hour museum - and well worth the visit.

10/21/2012

The mansion is as amazing as the collection of old masters.

12/7/2010

HAVING A COKE WITH YOU

is even more fun than going to San Sebastian, Irún, Hendaye, Biarritz, Bayonne
or being sick to my stomach on the Travesera de Gracia in Barcelona
partly because in your orange shirt you look like a better happier St. Sebastian
partly because of my love for you, partly because of your love for yoghurt
partly because of the fluorescent orange tulips around the birches
partly because of the secrecy our smiles take on before people and statuary
it is hard to believe when I'm with you that there can be anything as still
as solemn as unpleasantly definitive as statuary when right in front of it
in the warm New York 4 o'clock light we are drifting back and forth
between each other like a tree breathing through its spectacles

and the portrait show seems to have no faces in it at all, just paint
you suddenly wonder why in the world anyone ever did them

I look
at you and I would rather look at you than all the portraits in the world
except possibly for the Polish Rider occasionally and anyway it's in the Frick
which thank heavens you haven't gone to yet so we can go together the first time
and the fact that you move so beautifully more or less takes care of Futurism
just as at home I never think of the Nude Descending a Staircase or
at a rehearsal a single drawing of Leonardo or Michelangelo that used to wow me
and what good does all the research of the Impressionists do them
when they never got the right person to stand near the tree when the sun sank
or for that matter Marino Marini when he didn't pick the rider as carefully
as the horse

it seems they were all cheated of some marvelous experience
which is not going to go wasted on me which is why I am telling you about it

--Frank O'Hara

5/2/2012

This museum is just as good as a modern art museum, but it is basically the opposite of that. You get to see "older" European and American art on the walls of a home, which is how most paintings were originally intended to be displayed. Even though the collection's relatively small, they have a lot of interesting pieces if you like pre-20th century art and furniture/decorations. I think the furniture and other furnishings are the best part. It should take about one hour for a fast viewer, two hours for an average viewer, and three hours for a slow viewer.

5/18/2012

If you're visiting NYC, you will feel the need to visit the Met over the Frick. Please make time for both. The Frick is an exquisite, intimate, jewel, full of treasures that will touch your soul. (for me: the Holbein Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell portraits glaring politely at each other in the same room gave me actual chills) The provided self-tour with electronic doohickeys is immensely helpful and easy to use, so please don't be afraid of looking like a dork while you use it. (and you will) The admission price is high, but worth skipping lunch for.

11/11/2010

One of the best places to visit in NYC. I highly enjoyed the structure of the house, overall decor and the pieces in display are absolutely astonishing.

My favorite pieces and must see:

-Thomas Gainsborough - The Mall in St. James's Park
-All of François Boucher's 'The Season' works (all four pieces are placed together in one section)
-James Whistler - Symphony in Grey and Green: The Ocean
-Hans Holbein - Thomas More (do not miss it!)
-Hans Holbein - Thomas Cromwell
And definitely the works by Cimabue. Bellini, Monet, Goya and Duccio - specially those that are not so familiar with classic artworks, you should see them.

It is only pay as you wish on Sundays, between 11-1am. But, don't be cheap. Support art. It is one of the things that should not vanish in this weird generation we're in today. This place really deserves your entire admission fee and much more (trust me when I say this). I plan to become a member sometime in the near future.

8/8/2011

This is an absolute must see in NY, even if you do not have much time. Try to stretch out 2 hours.  Being from Europe, I've seen my share of art and was not at all impressed by the MoMa (don't get me wrong, it's a nice museum, just not impressing).  
What's interesting about the Frick collection is that this is a house.  Over the top decorated, an overkill of artwork, too much of everything.  But that's what makes it an interesting and unique place to visit.

5/19/2013

Small collection - easily doable in an afternoon. Beautiful old New York house - fun to around inside. Perfect place to take out of town-ers.

4/25/2012

I had never heard of this museum, but it was on the list of places my sister wanted to check out. I loved it! It has a really interesting history. In 1909, Henry Clay Frick bought an entire city block on 5th Avenue to build his house. He was a huge art collector, so he specifically designed the house to display the art he bought. When he died, he stated in his will that the house should become a museum (after his wife, who was still living there, had also passed). The museum opened to the public in 1935. Much of the furniture is still there, and a lot of the set up is the same as it was originally, so you do sometimes get a feeling that you're walking through someone's house. (It reminded me a bit of the Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum in Boston, which I also love, though that museum is much more strict about not changing anything, so its more eccentric.) The art on display was impressive - Renoir, Rembrant, El Greco, Vermeer, and others. Audio tours are free with admission, and they're set up really well - next to almost every piece of art there is a number - if you want to learn more about it, you punch that number into the audio tour handset, and it plays a 10-30 second informational clip. Since we'd arrived in the late afternoon, the woman handing out handsets took out a map and drew out a root and pointed out the highlights for us - so helpful!

5/24/2012

There are so many things to do when you visit NY.  I am so glad I did NOT pass up the Frick Collection.  Stunning.  What a treat!

4/24/2011

Spent Easter sunday morning here. Sundays are pay what you wish for those of you who don't know. Great collection of Rembrandt drawings and etchings! Super inspired for sure. There's also a great assortment of european/renaissance paintings featuring Goya, Vermeer, El Greco, Monet and many more! Staff was very attentive and knowledgeable. My friend was looking for certain paintings and they knew exactly where it was placed. Impressed? That I am.

12/17/2010

I went to the Frick this week and the work blew my mind.  I went there because art students at Grand Central Academy were talking about how great of a collection it was and, after my visit, I couldn't agree more.  The Spanish Drawings exhibit (here through January 9th)  was incredible.  Those sons of bitches know a thing or 12 about composition.  Every single drawing had a clear sense of intentionality and imaginativeness.  The subjects they chose were bold and brilliantly executed.  I can't stop thinking about a chalk drawing of a dove in black and white on blue paper.  There were several conte figures -my favorite medium- and each drawing gave a distinct sense of who the artist was and how their subject moved them.  

As if that wasn't enough the museum's permanent exhibit of world class painters: Turner Valazquez, Ingnes, Van Dyke, Corot (a few of my now favorites) was phenomenal.  Then they went and added a beautiful rare books collection, world-class architecture, a few beautiful museum patronesses ;) and I'd say it was an all-around fantastic experience of a specific artistic taste.  This might be my favorite museum.

I had an interesting experience with the painting Brown and Gold by Whistler.  I had just read Ezra Pound's "To Whistler, American" that morning.  The poem is about Pound's experience of an exhibit of Whistler's work (in the permanent collection in the Frick).  Pound was full of praise for Whistler saying "(you) who bear the brunt of our America/ and try to wrench her impulse into art."  Long story less long- I would not have gotten that sense from the work itself.  But because I had read the poem I did enjoy the work more.  I did not feel that Whistler's paintings stood up to what was in the room next to them (though they were definitely better than the bubble gum Renoir that was there, with the funds the Frick has, much more could be done with that space... get another Titian!)

6/30/2008

How can you say no to a Museum that averaged FIVE STARS!

The Frick collection is a feisty, mischievous, beautiful little heartbreaker next to the matronly Met and Whitney.

I fell head over heels in love with Henry Frick the man, the steel giant (oft at odds with lifelong rival Carnegie), and the art collector - who succumbed to the kind of art that moved him personally, never for their appreciation value, who spent more hours than anyone else with his art, seeking solace in the dark of his opulent study from the knowing eyes of literary masters, generals, and their mistresses.

The Frick Collection was a perfect little cupcake. Yum!

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• See all photos from Julia Y. for Frick Collection

4/11/2011

Old money museum obviously has old expensive artwork.  Surprisingly inexpensive admission.  I enjoyed the different layout, the different sizes of rooms, the lighting, the mansion in general was a museum in itself.  Hurry and get yourself in for the Rembrandt exhibit!  I believe it ends mid May 2011.

Make sure you get the audio tour, I didn't because I was on a limited amount of time.

2/19/2008

As long as I have lived in New York, I'd never made it into the Frick.  This is not because I'd heard the disparaging remark from people that this collection had all the good artists' bad work (also, those people are full of shit snobs).  I'd never gone because I'm lazy.

When I went, the audio guide was free.  I love audio guides.

7/19/2012

Nice work there but very limited collection and labeling (no dates or origin) hasn't kept up with the times. Audio tour included in admission helps some.

7/10/2012

My family has been here many times, educating our teenage son about traditional painting techniques as well as appreciating treasure of western civilizations. As new immigrants, we're grateful being lucky New Yorkers!

6/21/2010

The Frick is a true NYC gem.

Other reviewers have really said everything that can be said, and I concur with all of it.  In quick sum:  not nearly as crowded as the larger museums in town but just as impressive.  Truly an awe-inspiring collection of paintings, antique furniture, rugs, Tiffany lamps, and rare books.

A few words for the wise:

--Don't miss Holbein's portrait of Thomas More, located on the western side of the house in the Living Hall, between the Drawing Room and Library.  It's hung next to a doorway in not a particularly prominent placement, yet is one of the most famous works in the entire collection.

--Sundays between 11:00 and 1:00 admission is "by donation".  Other times its $18 for adults (with senior and student discounts).

--No children are allowed in the museum.

--Check out the Frick's concerts and lecture series, which are advertised on their website.

2/21/2012

One of my favorite museums in NYC!  I love the indoor garden.  It's beautiful to sit near and reflect.  The mansion is lovely and I enjoy perusing the art.