Frick Collection flaunts curious luxury objects from the Gregory Gift

Rosalba Carriera (Italian, 1673-1757), ‘Portrait of a Woman,’ circa 1730. Pastel on paper, glued on canvas, 23 1/4 by 18 3/4 by 1/2in. (59.1 by 47.6 by 1.3cm) The Frick Collection, gift of Alexis Gregory, 2020. Photo credit: Joseph Coscia Jr.
Rosalba Carriera (Italian, 1673-1757), ‘Portrait of a Woman,’ circa 1730. Pastel on paper, glued on canvas, 23 1/4 by 18 3/4 by 1/2in. (59.1 by 47.6 by 1.3cm) The Frick Collection, gift of Alexis Gregory, 2020. Photo credit: Joseph Coscia Jr.
Rosalba Carriera (Italian, 1673-1757), ‘Portrait of a Woman,’ circa 1730. Pastel on paper, glued on canvas, 23 1/4 by 18 3/4 by 1/2in. (59.1 by 47.6 by 1.3cm) The Frick Collection, gift of Alexis Gregory, 2020. Photo credit: Joseph Coscia Jr.

NEW YORK – The celebrated holdings of decorative arts objects amassed by Henry Clay Frick have been significantly enriched in recent decades by gifts from other collectors. A remarkable bequest in 2020 from the collection of Alexis Gregory builds on this tradition by enhancing the museum’s existing holdings and introducing to the museum new types of objects. Visitors can now enjoy a special exhibition of these works, shown by the Frick for the first time together. The Gregory Gift, which continues through July 9, features 28 acquisitions in a variety of media and forms, curious luxury objects that, shown together, suggest a fine collector’s cabinet or Kunstkammer.

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Vermeer’s Maps book offers new perspective on Dutch master

Cover of ‘Vermeer’s Maps,’ released on October 11 and authored by Rozemarijn Landsman.
Left, Johannes Vermeer, ‘Officer and Laughing Girl,’ circa 1657. Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 by 18 1/8in. (50.5 by 46cm). The Frick Collection. Photo credit Joseph Coscia Jr. Right, Balthasar Florisz van Berckenrode and Willem Jansz Blaeu, ‘Map of Holland and West-Friesland,’ circa 1621. Engraving, 45 11/16 by 67 3/4in. (116 by 172cm). Westfries Museum, Hoorn
Left, Johannes Vermeer, ‘Officer and Laughing Girl,’ circa 1657. Oil on canvas, 19 7/8 by 18 1/8in. (50.5 by 46cm). The Frick Collection. Photo credit Joseph Coscia Jr. Right, Balthasar Florisz van Berckenrode and Willem Jansz Blaeu, ‘Map of Holland and West-Friesland,’ circa 1621. Engraving, 45 11/16 by 67 3/4in. (116 by 172cm). Westfries Museum, Hoorn

NEW YORK – With stunning reproductions and incisive text, Vermeer’s Maps (Delmonico Books / The Frick Collection, $39.95), a 128-page hardcover released on October 11, is the most comprehensive study of the artist’s depiction of wall maps to date. Drawing on rare surviving examples of the maps and other primary sources, author Rozemarijn Landsman examines this intriguing aspect of Vermeer’s work, greatly enriching and expanding our understanding of the art and life of the man dubbed the “Sphinx of Delft.”

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