When I first visited The Frick Collection in the Upper East Side of Manhattan, I saw a public gallery consisting of artwork from the Renaissance to the late nineteenth century, a building with a very classical look and feel to it, and a space where I was able to look closely at the art without being overwhelmed by a large crowd of people. I even noticed the different themes and periods of each room when walking from one to another, because the decor was so different than the one before it. The collection offers a wide range of artistic masterpieces throughout European history and welcomes everyone to witness it firsthand.

West Gallery at The Frick Collection, 2015. Photo courtesy of The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection was setup by Henry ClayFrick (1849-1919), a successful coke (the fuel) and steel industrialist from Pittsburgh. He had his New York residence and the most outstanding of his artworks, which he had been collecting throughout his entire life, turned into a public gallery for the purpose of, according to Frick himself, “encouraging and developing the study of the fine arts.” Among his collection were sculptures, drawings, prints, and even decorative items like furniture and porcelain. Today, The Frick houses a permanent collection of more than 1,100 works of art.

Anyone who loves art or is interested in art history should go see The Frick; however, I don’t recommend it to teens. Yes, I know there are a lot of teenagers who are into art, but I just don’t think The Frick Collection is a teen-friendly environment. There is a lot of diversity within the collection, coming from countries all over Europe throughout the 14th to 19th centuries, but the gallery lacks any sort of interaction, like The Intrepid Museum or The Museum of the Moving of the Moving Image. I guess the point of the exhibit is to calmly appreciate art from the past, and even though that’s not necessarily bad, it’s all there is to the museum. The gallery even charges an additional fee (prices listed below), when many museums are free to the public, so this may be a bit of a drawback for some teenagers.

Overall, The Frick Collection is a different experience in comparison to other museums due to where it has come from and the art that it has to offer. Apart from teens who enjoy interactive and hands-on exhibits, anyone who hasn’t been to the museum before, including anyone who loves art, should go when they have the time. Throughout the week, it costs $10 for students, $20 for adults, $15 for seniors, and child under ten aren’t allowed into the Collection. :/ But on Sundays, you can pay what you wish between 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.

Garden Court at The Frick Collection, 2015. Photo courtesy of The Frick Collection