Yesterday I went to see the Frick Collection with a friend. It’s this particular friend’s favorite museum and I had never been; I have to say that I was blown away.
What makes the Frick special, is that unlike most museums, it is simply one man’s collection — the art he collected throughout his life and the house he built to display it. I say “house,” but the building takes up an entire block of Fifth Avenue, across the street from Central Park. (The lot cost five million dollars when he bought it in 1913.)
There are some incredible individual pieces, but the entire experience is amazing. It’s curated as a collection, and the house looks and feels much like it did when he lived in it, so it has an intimate feel that you never get from The Met or MoMA. Additionally, they offer free hand-held audio guides, which are extremely well done. Listening to the staff talk about the works enhanced the experience 100%.
I highly recommend it.