I recently visited The Frick Collection‘s special exhibition featuring two Italian masterpieces, and I was truly amazed by the entire collection and additional special exhibitions. Don’t miss the opportunity to immerse yourself in this cultural treasure before the museum’s temporary home, Frick Madison, closes its doors on March 3, 2024!
Until Feb 4, 2024, you’ll have the opportunity to witness the reunion of two Renaissance masterpieces that have been separated for over 400 years.
The Frick’s iconic St. Francis in the Desert by Giovanni Bellini is paired with Giorgione’s Three Philosopher, a rare loan from Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum. These incredible artworks are displayed in a special chapel-like room, facing each other. The masterpieces were both owned by Venetian nobleman Taddeo Contarini and hung in his palazzo during the sixteenth century.
Giorgione’s painting, most likely commissioned by Contarini himself, portrays three philosophers in a landscape: two standing, and one seated contemplating the rays of the sun. St. Francis in the Desert, is a marvel of composition and detail. The New York Times called it “one of the most revelatory exhibitions to hit New York in years.”
As you wander through the museum, immerse yourself in the beauty of the Frick’s iconic Vermeers, Rembrandts, and other Old Masters, in addition to sculptures, porcelains, rugs, bronzes, and decorative arts objects.
Be prepared to be blown away by artist Nicolas Party’s pastel mural commissioned by the Frick, on display through March 3, 2024.
Party’s pastel mural, spanning three walls in the museum’s Italian galleries, features elaborate draperies highlighting Rosalba’s “Portrait of a Man in Pilgrim’s Costume” (ca. 1730), along with two additional pastel portraits he created in response to the Venetian Rococo artist, on the occasion of her 350th birth anniversary.
Rosalba Carriera (1673–1757) was the preeminent portraitist of mid-eighteenth-century Venice, during the zenith of the Venetian Carnival. Her studio was a popular stop for foreigners, often posing for her in their elegant Carnival costumes – much like the man in the portrait.
The large-scale pastel murals created by the Swiss-born pastel artist Party for this installation are ephemeral, lasting only for the duration of a specific exhibition at a unique location: another reason not to miss this extraordinary exhibition!!!
PS. When I visited, I was also able to catch the extraordinary Barkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at The Frick exhibition before it closed on Jan 7. It was INCREDIBLE!
Before you leave, make sure to check out the model of the renovation plan in the lobby, designed by Selldorf Architects. This plan is marking the first comprehensive upgrade since the 1930s to the original 1914 residence of Henry Clay Frick.
The Frick Collection is set to reopen at 1 East 70th Street in late 2024.
Frick Madison is definitely a Must-Visit NYC museum, do not miss it!
📍945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
🕥 Thursday through Sunday, 10am to 6pm – closed Monday through Wednesday.
Check the website for the holiday schedule.
🎟️ Adults: $22, Seniors & visitors with disabilities: $17, Students: $12.
Free admission for visitors ages 10–17, and always free for members.
Timed tickets are strongly recommended and can be purchased online.
👶Children under ten are not admitted to the museum.
💰Pay-what-you-wish admission is offered Thursdays from 4pm to 6pm.
Can’t wait to hear what you think, I hope you get to LOVE it as much as I did!
