Annual Report - The Frick Collection

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elements made especially for Turkish rooms have survived; among these examples were the six objects presented in the exhibition, which was organized by Associate Curator Charlotte Vignon. Included in the display was a pair of French console tables acquired by Henry Clay Frick in 1914 and recently restored for the exhibition by Conservator Joseph Godla. The late Charles A. Ryskamp, who served as the Director of the Frick from 1987 to 1997, provided in his will that the Frick should have the opportunity to make a selection of drawings from his extensive collection. This acquisition of ten eighteenth- and nineteenth-century drawings—chosen by Director Anne L. Poulet, Senior Curator Susan Grace Galassi, and me—richly aug- ments the museum’s holdings of works on paper and will be the focus of a special exhibition in the spring of 2012. Several long-term loans continue to grace our galleries: Giovanni Bologna’s wax sculp- ture Astrology (The Quentin Foundation), Simone Martini’s Christ on the Cross between the Virgin and Saint John (Phillips Family Collection), Francesco Guardi’s View of the Giudecca Canal and the Zattere, Venice (anonymous lender), and a Meissen porcelain Great Bustard (Henry Arnhold Collection). In addition, a pair of late fifteenth-century Florentine paintings—The Departure of the Argonauts by Pietro del Donzello and The Argonauts in Colchis by Bartolomeo di Giovanni—are on view in the West Gallery, courtesy of The Mari-Cha Collection. On loan from a private collection and displayed in the Dining Room are two early eighteenth- century silver fountains by Lewin Dedeke and Johann Wilhelm Voigt I, together with a pair of silver basins by Dedeke. As part of our continued efforts to enrich our visitors’ appreciation of the collection, the Curatorial Department published a revised handbook, The Frick Collection, which was generously funded by BNP Paribas. This beautifully illustrated book fea- tures new images by the Frick’s photographer Michael Bodycomb and discusses our most important objects in the light of current research. During the year we also revised our Acoustiguide, adding twenty-seven objects to the tour and updating thirteen of our pre- vious recordings. The Conservation Department was involved in several capital projects, including the re-lighting and renovation of the Boucher Room and the installation of new lighting in the West Gallery. Staff members also worked closely with contractors on the new microclimate cases for the Enamels Room. The refurbished cases are made of inert materials and feature an air circulation system designed to create a stable environ- ment for the Frick’s outstanding collection of Renaissance Limoges enamels. Additionally, the department was involved in the planning of the new Portico Gallery, providing speci- fications on materials and advice about envi- ronmental concerns. Besides those objects mentioned previously, several others have undergone major conservation treatments during the past year, including Verrocchio’s Bust of a Young Woman and Houdon’s Diana; the latter will be ready for the opening of the Portico Gallery in December 2011. Members of the conservation staff were involved in numerous educational projects throughout the year, the most important of which was the hosting of the International Council of Museums Conservation Com- mittee’s third biennial conference, Experts Meeting on Enamel on Metal Conservation, held October 8 and 9. During fiscal year 2010–11, the Educa- tion Department organized and presented more than 960 events and programs for more than 20,800 participants. Designed for a general audience, lectures were offered on selected Wednesday evenings. Highlights of this year’s series included Michael Gal- lagher’s presentation “Privileged Intimacy: Velázquez’s King Philip IV of Spain,” Christo- pher Brown’s “Rembrandt and Realism,” and Keith Christiansen’s “Finding Our Way into Bellini’s St. Francis in the Desert.” For the Artists, Poets, and Writers Lecture Series, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire presented the hugely popular “Fizz and Sparkle: The Effervescent Life of Deborah, the Dowager Duchess of Devonshire.” I discussed “Frick, Duveen, and the Creation of the Fragonard Room” and Director Anne L. Poulet presented “A Gallery of Worthies: Thomas Jef- ferson and Jean-Antoine Houdon.” Other highlights of the year included our two Friday Nights at the Frick, when the Collection extended its gallery hours and admission to the museum was free to the public. Spanish Night, on November 5, drew more than 750 visitors, who enjoyed an evening viewing of The Spanish Manner and The King at War exhibitions. On May 13, the Frick hosted Rembrandt Night, during which more than one thousand peo- ple viewed the exhibition and participated in various programs, including a lecture I Annual Report July 2010–June 2011 9
presented, “When Frick’s House Became Rembrandt’s House: Rembrandt in the Frick and Lugt Collections.” The Education Department offered an array of after-school and weekend programs, internships, and school visits. This year, we welcomed more than 2,250 middle and high school students through our guided school visit program. Several new colleagues joined us this year. In Education, Anna Finley came on board as the department assistant and Viktorya Vilk became our second Samuel H. Kress Fellow in Museum Teaching. Curatorial Assistant Katie Steiner and Research Assistant Aimee Ng have made excellent additions to our curatorial staff. Nat Silver, an Italian Renaissance specialist and Ph.D. student at University College, London, became our newest Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow. I am extremely pleased to note that this distinguished two-year pre-doctoral program has been renamed in honor of our esteemed outgoing Director; henceforth, future participants will be called Anne L. Poulet Curatorial Fellows. On this note I would like to say what a pleasure it has been for all of us to have worked with Anne Poulet these past eight years. The Curatorial Department is grate- ful for her tireless efforts in support of our exhibitions, acquisitions, publications, loans, and educational and conservation initiatives, as well as for her staunch commitment to the highest standards in scholarship and connoisseurship. We say farewell to a defin- ing chapter in the Frick’s history but look forward to an exciting year ahead and to wel- coming our new Director, Ian Wardropper. Colin B. Bailey Associate Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Annual Report July 2010–June 2011 10
Page 1 and 2: The Frick Collection annual report
Page 3 and 4: The Frick Collection Board of Trust
Page 5 and 6: whose foundation underwrote the gal
Page 7 and 8: Farewell from the Director Anne L.
Page 9: Report of the Associate Director an
Page 13 and 14: which lauded the Library’s applic
Page 15 and 16: Gifts and Exchanges (Continued) Wil
Page 17 and 18: Lectures (Continued) March 23, 2011
Page 19 and 20: Concerts October 10, 2010 Ensemble
Page 21 and 22: Statement of Activities June 30, 20
Page 23 and 24: Melinda and Paul Sullivan Mr. and M
Page 25 and 26: David Orr and Brant Wong Mr. and Mr
Page 27 and 28: Mr. and Mrs. John R. Robinson Mr. a
Page 29 and 30: Eugene M. Lang Christopher Larson a
Page 31 and 32: Mr. and Mrs. Erik Sandvick Danielle
Page 33 and 34: Corporate Members and Sponsors $50,
Page 35 and 36: Helen Freeman Membership Coordinato
Page 37 and 38: Frick Art Reference Library Staff A

Annual Report - The Frick Collection

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