Illustrations for Fiona Davis, Magnolia Palace, part 2
Master IDC, Adoration of the Shepherds, late 16th or early 17th c. Leonard Limousin, Guy Chabot, Baron de Jarnac, 1540-1545. Leonard Limousin, Triumph of the Eucharist and the Catholic Faith, 1561-1562. Images: Frick Collection.

Illustrations for Fiona Davis, Magnolia Palace, part 2

The first part in this series is here. This post is available as a video at https://youtu.be/7NaSVzSntjQ .

Chapter 8

Fragonard Room, spaniel at feet of 2 lovers: The Progress of Love: Love Letters, 1771-1772.

Fragonard, Progress of Love – Letters. Images: Frick Collection

Flushed George Washington (in the library): Gilbert Stuart, Washington, 1795.

Sailboat on rocky seas (library): perhaps Turner, Fishing Boats Entering Calais Harbor, ca. 1803.

Gilbert Stuart, Washington, 1795. Turner, Fishing Boats Entering Calais Harbor, ca. 1803. Images: Frick Collection

Ravishingly beautiful women wearing puffy wigs: probably portraits by Gainsborough of the 1770s-1780s. Henry Clay Frick owned 4 Gainsborough portraits of women – among the most paintings by any artist at the Frick. (Incidentally, if you want to get a sense of the scope of the Frick, look at this page, a list of works by artist.)

Gainsborough, Mrs. Peter William Baker, 1781. Sarah, Lady Innes, ca. 1757. Hon. Frances Duncombe, ca. 1777. Images: Frick Collection.

Gruff-looking man with thinning gray hair, looking off to side as if about to bark an order (library): perhaps Hals, Portrait of an Elderly Man, ca. 1627-1630. But this might be the wrong painting: I always remember Hals’s sitters as being cheerful, so think this one is smiling under his mustache.

Young woman in simple red dress, holding spaniel (library): Romney, Lady Hamilton as “Nature,” 1782.

Hals, Portrait of an Elderly Man, ca. 1627-1630. Romney, Lady Hamilton as “Nature”, 1782. Images: Frick Collection.

Holbein the Younger, Sir Thomas More, 1527. I’ve written at length on this work in “How to Analyze and Appreciate Paintings.”

El Greco, St. Jerome, ca. 1590-1600

Holbein the Younger, Thomas Cromwell, 1532-1533

Holbein, Sir Thomas More, 1527. El Greco, St. Jerome, ca. 1590-1600. Holbein, Thomas Cromwell, 1532-1533. Images: Frick Collection.

I’m fifty-two / Feeling quite blue / Although I look like a king / I’ve got absolutely no-thing / to my name: No idea! What a pity I hadn’t read Magnolia Palace last month when I visited the Frick.

Chapter 9

Frick’s enamels: judging from the number of them that he owned, Mr. Frick really loved enamels.

Master IDC, Adoration of the Shepherds, late 16th or early 17th c. Leonard Limousin, Guy Chabot, Baron de Jarnac, 1540-1545. Leonard Limousin, Triumph of the Eucharist and the Catholic Faith, 1561-1562. Images: Frick Collection.

Large Turner oil of the Rhine at Cologne: Turner, Cologne, the Arrival of a Packet-Boat: Evening, 1826. A glorious 7 feet wide.

Turner, Cologne, the Arrival of a Packet-Boat: Evening, 1826. Image: Frick Collection.

Karl Bitter, Pomona on the Pulitzer Fountain, in front of Plaza Hotel: see part 1, Ch. 7, and here.

Next week: Chapters 10-23, plus some notes on Audrey Munson.

More

  • Frick Madison is closing down on 3/3/2024. By late 2024, the Frick Collection will be back on East 70th Street, in its renovated and expanded home. Updates here.
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