The Frick Collection Reopens: An Extended Tour of the Renovated Gilded Age Mansion

Grand Reopening of The Frick Collection

• 🏛️ The Frick Collection has officially reopened its doors after a five-year closure for renovation and expansion.
• 🎨 The museum, housed in a Gilded Age mansion, is now showcasing its opulent art collection in a revitalized setting.
• 👨‍🎨 Artist Vladimir Klyki has created lifelike porcelain and metal flowers, an installation that evokes the museum's original display of real flowers.

The Grand Picture Gallery

• 🖼️ The West Gallery, known as the Grand Picture Gallery, was designed by Henry Clay Frick as the mansion's grandest space, intended for displaying his art.
• 👨‍ Rembrandt's self-portrait, painted late in his life, is highlighted as a sensational piece within the room.
• 🖼️ The gallery features three Rembrandts, showcasing the artist's depiction of aging and his successful career.

Access to Private Quarters

• 🚶‍♂️ For the first time, the private living quarters of the Frick family are accessible to the public on the second floor.
• 🍽️ Visitors can now explore smaller spaces like the breakfast room, which retains the original hang of late 19th-century pictures.
• 😮 The velvet rope that previously blocked access to the grand staircase has been removed, allowing public exploration of these private areas.

Art and Decorative Arts

• 🌳 The gallery overlooking Central Park now houses the Frick's porcelain collection, alongside Old Master paintings and sculpture.
• 🧐 This display offers a more rounded perspective on European art and culture, encompassing decorative arts.
• ✨ The revitalization aims to offer visitors a sense of familiarity with beloved pieces while also presenting something new and fresh.

Henry Clay Frick's Vision

• 🏗️ Henry Clay Frick, an industrialist, built the mansion with the intention of it becoming a museum for public enjoyment and inspiration.
• 🌳 The Frick Collection is described as an oasis in New York City, cherished for its stellar quality art.
• 🏙️ The Gilded Age opulence of the mansion reflects New York City's history and hints at future directions.
• 🗣️ Community input during the challenging renovation process was acknowledged as contributing to an even better project.