Edward Maddalena

Review of The Frick Collection

This museum is Frick-ing Great! With that bad (and...

This museum is Frick-ing Great! With that bad (and obvious) pun out of the way, let's go into why the Frick is one of the underrated museums in NYC. Namely, this used to be someone's house! Coke (not Cola but the coal by-product) magnate and 1 percenter Henry Clay Frick had this square city block of a mansion built in the early 1900s for his family and display of his classical art collection. Over a hundred years later, the Frick still houses some of the paintings of the French Masters throughout the various rooms of his house. At times throughout my visit, I wasn't sure if I was more impressed by the artwork or the walls they were hanging on. Unfortunately, photography isn't allowed most of the Frick, so it's something that truly has to be seen to believed.

The one place you are able to take photographs is in the ornate marble fountain room, which is wonderful for reflection or sketching. Once a month the museum has a free admission Friday and Sunday mornings are pay as you wish, so those are both great opportunities to admire the work.