Antico: The Golden Age of Renaissance Bronzes
May 1, 2012, through July 29, 2012
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Pier Jacopo Alari de Bonacolsii, called Antico (c. 1460–1528), Apollo Belvedere, c. 1490, copper with partial fire gilding and silvering; base of bronze, 16 1/4 inches without base, Liebieghaus Skulpturensammlung, Frankfurt |
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Antico: The Golden Age of Renaissance Bronzes is the first monographic exhibition in the United States dedicated to Pier Jacopo Alari de Bonacolsi, known as Antico (c. 1455–1528). As sculptor to the Gonzaga courts at Mantua and in northern Italy, Antico earned his name, "the antique one," for his creation in the classical style of statuettes, reliefs, and busts that are distinguished by their opulence and beauty. Using inventive and highly refined techniques, Antico lavishly gilded, silvered, and patinated his works, elevating his bronze sculptures to the status of the ancient precious objects that were avidly collected by his Gonzaga patrons. Splendid and timeless, Antico's works represent a sophisticated court style and have always been exclusive and rare. Today fewer than fifty of his bronzes are known. Dispersed among museums in Europe and America, nearly forty of them will come together in this unprecedented presentation.
The exhibition aims to shed light on the master's transformative contribution to this art form, incorporating the results of newly performed technical research to answer questions about the dating of Antico's works, his technique, and his development as an innovative artist. Jointly organized by the National Gallery of Art and The Frick Collection, the exhibition opened in the fall of 2011 in Washington, D.C., before traveling to New York City the following spring. The exhibition is curated by Eleonora Luciano, Associate Curator of Sculpture at the National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with Denise Allen, Curator at The Frick Collection. The accompanying catalogue is written by an international team of scholars including Eleonora Luciano, Denise Allen, and Claudia Kryza-Gersch, Curator of Italian Sculpture at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. It will be the first independent monograph in English to focus on the artist and the first comprehensive presentation of his works in color.
The exhibition in New York is made possible, in part, by The Christian Humann Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Jeremiah M. Bogert, Mr. and Mrs. J. Tomilson Hill III, The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation, the Robert H. Smith Family Foundation, the Thaw Charitable Trust, and the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.
New Portico Gallery Opens with Selections of Meissen Porcelain from Henry H. Arnhold's Promised Gift and Two Sculptures by Houdon
December 13, 2011, through January 6, 2013
December 13, 2011, through January 6, 2013
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The Portico Gallery, photograph: Michael Bodycomb |
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On December 13, visitors to The Frick Collection will be able to enjoy a new gallery — the first major addition to the museum's display spaces in nearly thirty-five years. The inspiration for this initiative, which involves the enclosure of the portico in the Fifth Avenue Garden, comes from the intention of museum founder Henry Clay Frick (1849–1919) to build an addition to his 1914 mansion for his growing collection of sculpture. The project was postponed in 1917 following the United States entry into World War I, and Mr. Frick died before it could be resumed. In recent years, the institution has placed greater focus on sculpture through critically acclaimed exhibitions and several key acquisitions, while also evaluating the effectiveness of the display and lighting of such objects. Another area of increased focus has been the decorative arts. When talks began with renowned porcelain collector Henry H. Arnhold about a promised gift, the idea to create a gallery both for sculpture and the decorative arts was revisited. The architecture firm Davis Brody Bond developed a plan to integrate the outdoor garden portico into the fabric of the museum, and groundbreaking occurred last winter. Davis Brody Bond is one of the leading practices in the United States engaged in a range of museum and landmark structure commissions.
The Portico Gallery opens on December 13 with an inaugural exhibition of works drawn from Henry Arnhold's promised gift of 131 examples of Meissen porcelain from the early years of this Royal Manufactory's production. On view through January 6, 2013, White Gold: Highlights from the Arnhold Collection of Meissen Porcelain will feature approximately seventy of these objects. The porcelain is presented with two eighteenth-century sculptures by Jean-Antoine Houdon: The Dead Thrush, a long-term loan from the Horvitz Collection, Boston, and Diana the Huntress, a signature work of The Frick Collection.
Permanent Collection
The Frick Collection includes some of the best-known paintings by the greatest European artists, major works of sculpture (among them one of the finest groups of small bronzes in the world), superb eighteenth-century French furniture and porcelains, Limoges enamels, Oriental rugs, and other works of remarkable quality.
We are pleased to announce a searchable database of works of art in the permanent collection, available at collections.frick.org. You may bookmark the following link "Search Our Collections," which is also available on each page on this Web site.
You are also invited to investigate our permanent collections area by visiting the virtual tour section, available from the Virtual Tour, on each page of this Web site. This section contains information about the history of The Frick Collection, the galleries used for displaying our permanent collection, and includes a virtual tour and audio files. For questions about visiting The Frick Collection, see Visitor Information. |
