While the MoMA and Met are great, one goal of mine is to make it to more of New York’s less well-known art museums. There are, needless to say, a treasure trove of museums in this city, and I always feel slighty ashamed that I don’t take better advantage of them. But, last weekend, I finally stepped up my game, heading across the park to the Upper East Side for a visit at The Frick Collection.
To be completely honest, I had no idea of what to expect at The Frick; I hadn’t looked into the particulars of the museum’s collection at all. I was pleasantly surprised by just how many gems the museum held: Titian, Gainsborough, El Greco, Turner, Rembrandt, Vermeer, Manet, and Degas, to name just a few of the artists. The museum also houses Hans Holbein’s portraits of Thomas Cromwell and Thomas More, which stuck out to me as I’m currently reading Wolf Hall.
The Frick also has a beautiful courtyard, which is the only part of the museum where you can take photographs – so I took full advantage. The courtyard was peaceful, gorgeous, and full of light. Scrolling through Instagram, I noticed photographs of the space all decked out for Christmas; I guess I’ll have to go check it out again this holiday season!
My verdict on The Frick? Go, go, go. In addition housing a great collection, the museum itself is a piece of art: think decked out rooms in the style of grand old European palaces, with rich tapestries, vibrant wallpaper, and gilded mirrors. It’s also not overrun with tourists, so visiting is a pleasure. There’s no jockeying with crowds to see the best work and plenty of space simply to breathe and admire the works of art.
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