The Fricks Collect - by Ian Wardropper (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

Before his New York home became a museum, Henry Clay Frick engaged some of his era's most important art dealers to build a notable collection and the best decorators to create suitable Gilded Age interiors to accommodate the works. This story traces the journey that led to the creation of one of America's finest art collections.

At its heart, this story centers on Frick and his daughter Helen Clay Frick, both pivotal figures in the formation of the renowned Frick Collection. The volume delves into the Fricks' exposure to and acquisition of some of the finest art of their time. With an exquisite blend of textual narrative and ample imagery showcasing masterpieces and the sumptuous interiors of homes in Pittsburgh and New York, the book offers a captivating narrative of ambition, wealth, and cultural patronage.

White, Allom & Co. and Elsie de Wolfe worked with Frick on the decoration of his houses and influenced the choice of many furnishings the owner acquired and that formed the backdrop for his paintings. As was commonplace at the time, decorators often collaborated with dealers in creating spaces suitable for the esteemed works of art. Further influential figures who shaped the era's cultural landscape include Frick's business partner Andrew Carnegie and noted art dealers Joseph Duveen in London and Charles Carstairs of M. Knoedler & Co. in New York. Presenting the glittering halls of their homes and the masterpieces adorning the walls of The Frick Collection, this volume is a testament to the enduring allure of art and the power of patronage in shaping cultural institutions.

Review Quotes

"Before his New York home became a museum, Henry Clay Frick engaged some of the most important art dealers and decorators of his time to build a renowned collection and create suitable Gilded Age interiors to accommodate it. In this new book, Ian Wardropper, the Frick's Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, traces the journey that led to the creation of one of America's finest art collections. With a focus on Henry and his daughter Helen, Wardropper weaves a fascinating tale of ambition, wealth, and cultural patronage, complemented by rich imagery showcasing the family's masterpieces and sumptuous interiors in Pittsburgh; Prides Crossing, Massachusetts; and New York City. Julian Fellowes--actor, writer, director, and producer known for creating Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age--contributes a foreword to this engaging narrative." -- ART DAILY

"A tale of power and patronage in America's Gilded Age, it focuses on industrialist Henry Clay Frick, and how with his newly coined fortune -- as well as guidance from his trusted decorators and dealers White, Allom & Co., Elsie de Wolfe, Joseph Duveen and Charles Carstairs of M. Knoedler & Co. -- he was able to prise many masterpieces from the walls of bankrupt European aristocrats. Following Frick's death in 1919, his Beaux-Arts Manhattan mansion was turned into a public museum to display 1,500 of his works of art, which span the Renaissance to the 19th century. Among them are some of the finest paintings by Bellini, Fragonard, Gainsborough, Goya, Holbein, Rembrandt, Titian, Turner, Velázquez and Vermeer. The 160-page book is richly illustrated with photographs of art and interiors, and has a foreword by Julian Fellowes, the English actor, novelist and screenwriter best known for creating Downton Abbey." -- CHRISTIE'S

"The Frick Collection is one of New York's gems, now more than ever, as it prepares to reopen its Fifth Avenue mansion after an extensive and acclaimed renovation. The story of how Henry Clay Frick and his daughter accumulated such European treasures is compellingly told in The Fricks Collect, a handsome volume with a foreword written by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. Coal and steel made the robber baron his fortune, but they also brought fatal labor strife and an attempt on his life. Nonetheless, as Fellowes points out, Frick succeeded in 'making America one of the main custodians of high culture in the modern world.' Congratulations to recently retired director Ian Wardropper and editor Michaelyn Mitchell for producing a book beautiful enough to rest atop the fireplace mantel in the Fragonard Room." -- AIR MAIL

About the Author

Ian Wardropper is the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director of The Frick Collection. Julian Fellowes is an English novelist, director, and screenwriter, best known as the creator and head writer of the popular TV series Downton Abbey.