The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection originated with Henry Clay Frick, a Gilded Age industrialist who bequeathed his collection of paintings, sculptures, and decorative arts as well as his Manhattan residence to the public. In 1920, a year after his passing, Henry's daughter, Helen Clay Frick, established the Frick Art Reference Library to provide public access to her father's personal collection. In 1935, his Manhattan home opened to the public as a museum. Today, the Frick Collection's holdings have more than doubled, and exhibitions, programming, and community partnerships amplify enjoyment of works by such artists as Johannes Vermeer, Francisco Goya, Rosalba Carriera, and Giovanni Bellini.
 
The Frick Collection's mission transcends the preservation and exhibition of these works; the organization is committed to cultivating historical knowledge of the arts through research and scholarship. The Frick Collection has served as an educational resource for scholars, students, and the public for more than a century, and the Frick Art Reference Library is one of the world's leading art-history research centers.