Book Cover with the text The Fricks Collect in white and a background displaying a room with wooden floors decorated with 18th century European furniture, curtains and Fragonard paintings.

The Fricks Collect: An American Family and the Evolution of Taste in the Gilded Age (softcover)

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"an illuminating study in taste and ambition . . . elegant prose and careful detail"

— Megan Fox Kelly, Observer, January 24, 2025

 

"a fascinating new book"

— Holland Cotter, New York Times, March 20, 2025

 

"compellingly told . . . a handsome volume . . . beautiful enough to rest atop the fireplace mantel in the Fragonard Room"

— Jim Kelly, Airmail, April 5, 2025

 

"wonderful new guidebook"

— Jerry Saltz, New York, April 7–20, 2025

 

Before his New York home became a museum, Henry Clay Frick engaged some of the most important art dealers and decorators of his time to build a renowned collection and create suitable Gilded Age interiors to accommodate it. In this new book, Ian Wardropper, the Frick’s Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, traces the journey that led to the creation of one of America’s finest art collections. With a focus on Henry and his daughter Helen, Wardropper weaves a fascinating tale of ambition, wealth, and cultural patronage, complemented by rich imagery showcasing the family’s masterpieces and sumptuous interiors in Pittsburgh; Prides Crossing, Massachusetts; and New York City. Julian Fellowes—actor, writer, director, and producer known for creating Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age—contributes a foreword to this engaging narrative.

Author: Ian Wardropper

Foreword: Julian Fellowes 

Publisher: The Frick Collection in association with Rizzoli Electa

Softcover, 7 1/4 x 9 1/4 in., 168 pages, 129 illustrations