That's So Pittsburgh: The Frick Art Museum

On my random day off this week, Dear Husband and I went to the Frick Art Museum to see a temporary exhibition entitled The Frick Collects: From Rubens to Monet. It displayed the conspicuous consumption of this wealthy family in the form of household items and paintings. Meanwhile, the largest collection of their art is at the Frick Museum in New York City, where their massive Gilded-Age urban mansion-cum-museum makes the suburban, three-story house here in Pittsburgh look like a quaint bungalow.

At the exhibit we got to ogle many gilded and ornate objects, some more beautiful than others. (I thought some of his bachelor choices were downright ugly.) I particularly liked this enameled tea set. The Frick owned multiple tea sets--of course--and while I am a regular tea drinker, I cannot imagine ever finding space in my schedule to enjoy all of them. It must have been hard work to be that rich.

Looking back, I didn't take very many photos, although this was allowed. I must not have been very impressed with the paintings as a whole, although I am fascinated by their late-medieval/early-renaissance religious scenes. These violet vases reminded me of this trip with my parents to the Meissen Porcelain Factory outside Dresden, when I was researching my dissertation.


Editor's Note: With so many monuments to this man's name--such as Frick Park--it's important we not forget the seedy, union-busting way in which he acquired his wealth: see my post on the Homestead Battle Foundation.