h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: The Frick Collection, New York - A11662003
Author: Azara - U172739

This is a short entry I wrote last year, when I found I couldn't post the word Frick when I was writing a journal entry about the Frick Collection. I was all prepared for a row until I found that the editors had fixed the problem. I've dusted this off, and would welcome comments.

The section on the actual collection is quite short, so if people feel it needs more detail about individual pictures I'll try to add some; since the museum's own website is so detailed I wanted just to give an introduction here.

Azara

Nice entry, I don't see a great deal wrong with it. Sort out the lack of a space between the words and the following header at the end of the first paragraph and insert a foonote to explain what Pinkerton men are and you're more or less there in my view. You might also wnat to clarify 5th Avenue New York City, but that's a trifle picky.

This is one of those things I've never gotten around to seeing, though I've probably passed it dozens of times.

1. You might mention the exact location, including a reference to Museum Mile.

2. Mention the necessity of conspicuous consumption among the nuevo riche - notably, they didn't go for any American goods. During that era, Europeans who cared about such things worried that American industrialists were going to purchase all of Europe's culture and leave it barren. He of the nose - wosshisface - JP Morgan - would go on buying sprees, setting new records for the prices paid for pieces of work every time he visited Europe. Vanderbilt wasn't far behind. Folks like Frick had to keep up with the Rockerfellers, so to speak.

Very nice entry you have there.


I'd just add a footnote explaining what coke is, seeing that it has so many meanings nowadays I suspect some younger folks won't know what it actually is.

Footnote about Pinkertons added
More exact location given.
Description of coke added.
1st paragraph fixed.

I'm still thinking about how much to say about the American plutocrats buying up everything in Europe: I'll get back to that tomorrow or the next day.

Azara

No pressure. It was just an interesting tidbit I read once about a Gainsborough painting - the Duchess of Devonshire. An interesting story in itself, since, after JP Morgan paid a record sum for it (to the utter dismay of European aficionados), an American master criminal (Adam Worth) absconded with her. But totally irrelevant. I just felt like mentioning it. The only part worth mentioning might be how the newly rich tried to buy a place with the "old families" of America by purchasing sophistication.

The Frick Collection in New York City is an art gallery which is special for two reasons: it shows the taste of one individual, rather than of a committee, and it is still displayed in the mansion of the original collector. The superlative quality of the pictures displayed makes it a wonderful introduction to Western painting.

(The opening paragraph needs to be more direct and informative, but you have made a good start and answered some of the following questions. I suggest that you rewrite it to answer the questions who, what, when and where (not necessarily in this order). Readers need to know whose collection it is (Frick), what it covers (type of art), when (the time period covered by the art and when it was collected) and where it is located.)

The Ruthless Industrialist

Henry Clay Frick was born on a farm in Pennsylvania in 1843. At that time the steel industry needed large amounts of the fuel (,) called coke (provide a link to coke), which was produced from coal. Frick started work in the coke industry which supplied the Pennsylvanian steel mills, and by the age of 22 had his own coke company. His success brought him to the attention of the great steel magnate Andrew Carnegie (provide a link to Carneige). He merged his coke interests with Carnegie's, and became Chairman of the Board of the Carnegie Steel Company in 1889. He (Frick) was known for his tough labour policies, which were directly responsible for the great Homestead Strike (reference homestead strike) of 1892. Frick sent in 300 Pinkerton1 (good reference job!) men to protect strike-breakers, and in the ensuing disturbances 7 (seven) workers and 3 (three) Pinkerton men were killed . This broke (Breaking) the power of the unions in the Pennsylvania steel industry.

In his private life, Frick was a totally different person. He had a great love of painting, and as his fortune increased he began to collect works by European masters, with a noticeable taste for portraits. He had a mansion built (do you know when?) on 5th Avenue in New York City, facing Central Park, an exclusive address which is now part of what is known as Museum Mile (reference?). Here he displayed his treasures (art collection). When he died, he left the house and collection to his wife for her lifetime, and then to the city and people of New York. Since his death,(Both) both the mansion and the collection have been enlarged, but the spirit of the founder remains in evidence.

The Collection

The overall effect of the Frick Collection is very much of one man's favourites, displayed in his own (extremely grandiose) house. There are many British paintings here (actually, the art of many British painters): Constable, Turner, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Raeburn, and Lawrence are all represented by masterpieces. The Fragonard room (what is this room? Are there other rooms?) makes a strong impact by the way in which the painted panels are set off by the 18th century furniture and porcelain. Among the older masters, especially brilliant works include: Piero della Francesca's Saint John the Evangelist, Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas More, Vermeer's Mistress and Maid, and Velasquez's Portrait of King Philip IV of Spain. More recent (can you use a better descriptor than more recent? Name the genre for example?) artists represented include Manet, Monet, Renoir, Rousseau, Degas and Whistler.

[Question – are titles of art supposed to be in italics?]
Huge art galleries like the Louvre and the National Gallery in London often intimidate visitors, whose memories can end up a blur of too many paintings crammed into too short a time. In contrast, a visitor to the Frick can comfortably see all the paintings in one visit. Since the quality of the actual paintings (and not merely the painters' reputations) is absolutely topnotch, this collection is a genuine must-see for anyone interested in painting. Details of opening hours and special exhibitions and a full listing of the works on show can be found at the Frick Collection website.

(“Huge art galleries like the Louvre and the National Gallery in London often intimidate visitors,” is a subjective assumption, but I understand what you are trying to say. I would go the route of touting Frick’s location and collection and simply mention that some of the works are on a par with the significance of works located in some of the greatest museums in the world.)

(Overall, you have done a very good job here and packed in a lot of valuable information, getting specific enough to pique an art lover’s interest. Nice article – best of luck.)

Sorry for the delay in getting back!

Some changes made:
He (Frick) was known for his tough labour policies,
in the ensuing disturbances 7 (seven) workers and 3 (three)Pinkerton men were killed.
Link added for Andrew Carnegie.
Added a piece about the Homestead strike.
Names of paintings put into italics.

I'll try and work on the rest of them tomorrow.

Azara

Some more changes:
Removed reference to Museum Mile, since the Frick Collection doesnt seem to participate in Museum Mile publicity, and the Museum Mile 'officially' starts at 82nd Street, while the Frick is further down at E 70th St.
Added the more exact location at E 70th Street, and the years the house was built.
'More recent' painters split to list Impressionists and American works by Whistler.
Here he displayed his treasures (art collection):
I want to keep the word 'treasures' here because I intended it to refer to the various other things Frick collected as well as paintings. Since this wasn't clear, I have added a sentence listing the various other things such as furniture, silver and enamels.


More to come!
Azara


sculpture, furniture, porcelain, enamles,
textiles, clocks silver, gilt bronzes

The Fragonard room (what is this room? Are there other rooms?)
I've added a sentence about rooms and galleries to make this clearer.

In my view, the other points are debatable.
The introduction:
I intended this to be very general, so I think it's fine as it is.

Likewise the last section:
“Huge art galleries like the Louvre and the National Gallery in London often intimidate visitors,” is a subjective assumption,
--I don't think this is subjective. I love museums myself, but I've met a lot of people who get tired much more quickly than I do, and others who find the very idea off-putting. So I'm going to leave this as it is.

Azara

Good luck. Keep up the good work. Perhaps others will provide helpful input.

Thanks for your input!

Azara

Is this ready, Azara?

I think it's ready!

Azara

thank you

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Congratulations

Good for you, Azara! You're published!

I hope they take my article on Arthur Hunnicutt soon as well.

Thank you!
I've a double dose of today!

Azara