The Fricks collect: an American family and the evolution of taste in the Gilded Age

Abstract

"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 Guilded 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." -- Provided by publisher.

Contents

Foreword / by Julian Fellowes -- Preface and acknowledgements -- The Fricks of Pennsylvania -- Henry Clay Frick, becoming a collector -- Clayton, the first home, the first collection -- The Vanderbilt Mansion and its art collection -- Rival collectors -- Charles Carstairs and M. Knoedler & Co. -- Collecting paintings, 1900-1911 -- East Coast houses -- The decorators : White, Allom & Co. and Elsie De Wolfe -- Collecting fine furniture -- Duveen and decorative arts -- Choosing well : the collection of J.P. Morgan -- Collecting paintings, 1912-1919 -- The ones that got away -- Furthering the Frick Collection : Helen Clay Frick -- Childs Frick, collector and paleontologist -- Gilding the lily : the Frick collects.