Description
Frick, notorious during the 19th century for his persecution of labor and his role in the Johnstown flood tragedy, also assembled an extensive and well-respected personal art collection. Here, his great-granddaughter reconciles these two aspects of his personality by examining how events in his public and personal lives influenced the selection of art in his collection. Includes almost 400 illustrations, many of which are color reproductions of the renowned paintings in the Frick Collection, from Manet's The Bullfight to Grandma Moses' Westmoreland Farm. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.
Read More
With unprecedented access to personal letters, private family diaries, and the Frick archives at the Frick Collection in New York City and at family residences in Pittsburgh, Martha Frick Symington Sanger has written a unique and penetrating account of the life and times of Henry Clay Frick and his family. In addition, the author explains in this meticulously researched book the reason why Frick and his daughter Helen selected the paintings, sculpture, and other items that are included in the collection.Since 1935 the magnificent art treasures of the Frick Collections have been open to the public in the New York City mansion that the family occupied. This book will enrich any visitor's experience of the Frick Collection in a way that had not been possible in previous books. The intriguing topics covered here include Frick's complex relationship with Andrew Carnegie and with other well-known business magnates; his harsh personal life darkened by the deaths of a younger daughter and infant son; and a sensitive portrayal of his daughter Helen, who was a Frick Collection trustee and chairman of the Art Acquisitions Committee after her father's death.Illustrating this book are 370 pictures ranging from paintings and sculpture in the Frick Collection to family portraits and historical images. This biography of a key figure in the development of American industry will appeal to both art history lovers and to historians, offering a singular and compelling reading and visual experience.
Read Less