Amongst the noisy traffic intrusion, rests a grand building owned by Henry Clay Frick, a mansion on 70th Street in New York.
He died in 1919 and willed his residence to be opened to the public. It was redeveloped and extended by John Russell Pope in the early 1930s.
Frick’s wish was ‘to encourage and develop the study of fine arts’ and it finally became a gallery in 1935.

It houses some of the most famous and best known paintings by major European artists along with works of sculpture, french furniture and Limoges porcelain all gathered on one floor.

One of my favourites is Whistler, the only American artist Frick deemed worthy of being housed at his home.(Below is a photo of his Portrait of Lady Meux – Harmony in Pink) Others include Rembrandt, Constable, Gainsborough, Boucher, Monet and there are more.

I sat on one of the stone seats in the serene courtyard taking in my surroundings with the sound of water trickling from a centre fountain encircled by aesthetically placed flowering plants. ‘The Courtyard’ is the only area where the public are allowed to take photos. Two outside gardens are artistically landscaped carrying a pond of brightly coloured pink lilies but sadly not accessible to us on this blue-skied sunny day.

A thought provoking opportunity to spend a Saturday,immersed in learning how Frick brought together millions of pounds worth of his favourite artworks under one roof. I felt connected to the setting, the history and the changing mood, hanging in this rich oasis of silence and art.
A definite cultural jewel to visit while in New York City.