The Frick Collection, one of the world’s finest private art collections, has reopened its doors after a five-year, $330 million renovation and expansion project. The museum, housed in a 1914 Beaux-Arts mansion on Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue, now boasts 30 percent more gallery space and a sleek new auditorium, thanks to the work of architect Annabelle Selldorf. Visitors are greeted by a stunning marble grand staircase with Deco-inspired elements, leading to the newly opened second-floor galleries.
These intimate spaces, formerly used as staff offices, now showcase masterpieces from the Italian Quattrocento, including works by Piero della Francesca, Fra Filippo Lippi, and Gerard David. The renovated skylights in the West Gallery bathe Rembrandt’s “Self-Portrait” in a caressing glow, while the oval-shaped room featuring four works by James McNeill Whistler, including the striking “Arrangement in Black and Gold,” is a must-see.
Frick unveils major renovations
The Frick’s collection is anchored by Rembrandt’s self-portrait, the largest of the dozens he painted throughout his life. Depicting the artist at 52 and freshly bankrupt, the painting showcases his mastery of impasto technique and his ability to convey the effects of aging on the skin. Other highlights include Vermeer’s “Officer and Laughing Girl,” a masterful depiction of flirtation; El Greco’s austere “St.
Jerome”; and the contrasting portraits of Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein, enemies in life but neighbors in death at the Frick. The museum also features a tasteful gift shop and a Danny Meyer café, promising to be a popular spot for cortados. With its expanded gallery space and thoughtfully curated collection, the newly renovated Frick is a treasure trove for art lovers and a must-visit destination for all New Yorkers.
