Building the Frick Collection: An Introduction to the House and Its Collections

by Colin B. Bailey

First in-depth study of the famous home of Henry Clay Frick, which houses The Frick Collection in New York City. Contains new scholarship by the Chief Curator of the Frick Collection.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History, Architecture

128 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Kristin]

By far my favorite place to visit when in NYC. This book takes me back there whenever I'm in the mood.

[Brenda]

Helpful, informative museum guide

[Annabelle]

Histoire sociale de la construction de la collection d'un des plus grands magnats de l'acier américain et de sa transformation en un musée privé (auquel il faut courir).

Reflète surtout la construction du goût des élites du début du siècle par une escouade d'intermédiaires déjà transatlantiques (décorateurs, vendeurs d'art, architectes, etc.), où se mêlent compétition symbolique avec les collections concurrentes (Rockefeller, JP Morgan, etc.), opportunisme financier (quel est le peintre avec la côte la plus haute sur le marché de l'art?) et marottes d'héritiers.

En négatif, il y a l'absence d'Etat, qu'un lecteur français non averti pourrait juger absolument béante et impardonnable.

Bref, F. Pinault n'a rien inventé.

[Andrew]

Picked this book up after I visited the Frick Collection in New York awhile back. The book catalogues many of works of arts in the house, but does so by telling the story of the construction of the house, Frick's acquisition of pieces of art and the various activities of the trust he set up to hold the house as a public museum after his death. It was actually much more interesting than I predicted and combined architecture, finance, interior design, art collecting, and foundation politics all in a single short read. The Frick Collection is one of those museums in NYC that you can miss if you aren't looking for it, but it's worth the visit.

[Matthew]

I found this book after visiting The Frick Collection on a trip to New York City. I am a big fan of the gilded age and was looking to this book to be a detailed view of the house. It did a good job of covering the first floor of the home and the expansion as it turned into a museum. However, I would have preferred to also visit the second and third floors and the basement and sub-basement as well. The book was a bit heavy on art which should be expected since the home is now a museum for Frick's collection. I do feel that the Collection should also treat the home more as a work of art of the gilded age and provide a better view into it.

[Dyer]

Loved the Frick. One of the most relaxing of the tourist sites that you can visit in an afternoon and not be exhausted. This guide lives up to its title, it's all about building the collections of world-class paintings and a handsome mansion to display them.