It is important to note that museums play a critical role in preserving, collecting, and presenting artworks, which is why the given analysis and reflection will focus on assessing the Frick Collection. The virtual tour enables a person to visit and learn about the art of the museum without being physically present in the building. The two selected artworks are Henry Clay Frick’s and Anthony van Dyck’s paintings.
One should be aware that the Frick Museum is large and extensive due to the sheer scale of the collection. There are around 32 rooms and almost 200 artworks, which are presented on the walls in decorated and protected frameworks in order to ensure their preservation as well as display. Many artworks have exhibition wall text to further explain the details relevant to each piece of art, which complements the museum experience by enriching one’s knowledge and understanding.
The first artwork is a big Henry Clay Frick painting, which portrays Henry Clay Frick standing in a suit with one hand in his pocket, looking to the left side. One thing I noticed is the elegance of the positioning of the Danish-American portraitist. Its intended function was to honor and remember the artist, which is distinct from the other arts we learn or see in the classroom. The portraitist in the foreground and the background is a dark-grey environment. In the case of formal elements, lines are imperceptible due to the darkness of the art, and the overall space feels empty, where time is halted in its flow. The element design of the focal point is made to Henry Clay Frick’s eyes, where the proportional aspect is based on his torso as the center.
The coloration intensities and values should be noted since it is dark for the most part, with the subject’s face being the only bright area. The most unexpected element revealed itself only after long observation, where the portraitist is holding something in the other hand. It looks like a random photograph of the artist caught in a moment of him talking to someone. The artwork most likely was made to remember Henry Clay Frick. It is an oil painting put in a well-decorated frame in the center of the library’s main wall.
The second artwork is by Anthony van Dyck, who was a Baroque artist in England. Anthony van Dyck is sitting looking at the painter, and the first thing to notice is the exceptional attention to detail of the work. Its intended function was to remember the Baroque artist, and it resembles some of the pieces of art we learned and saw in the class in regards to the Baroque period. The background is a room, and trees are seen from the window behind the foreground, which is Anthony van Dyck himself. The painting is dark with precise lines, detailed texture, constricted space, and heavy volume. For the elements of design, the focal point is Anthony van Dyck’s face, where the proportion is kept realistic similar to the previous artwork. The color intensities and values are dark as well, but, unlike Henry Clay Frick’s one, the painting is of medium size.
The key unexpected element is the smile resembling of infamous Mona Lisa, where it is subtle and imperceptive at first glance. It looks like Anthony van Dyck is seriously staring at a painter but wants to smile. The artist made this piece for the same reason as Henry Clay Frick’s painting, which is to preserve their memory visually. It is an oil painting put in a golden frame on the side wall of the West Gallery. Thus, both artworks have colors and purpose in common since they are paintings of famous artists done in a grim coloration. The differences can be found in lining, size, scale, proportion, and background use, as well as the positioning.
The arrangement of the artworks is complex and intricate, centered around time periods, cultures, and styles. There are around 20 artworks in a room on average, and they are put side by side for the most part. The lighting is skylight illuminated from the ceiling windows, but they are not open. I feel overwhelmed and excited when I enter a gallery room since there are many paintings to look at, and I do not want to go through them quickly. The wall text is absent, but it is present when the artwork is clicked on. It is rather descriptive and short, which is a positive feature since it helps to understand the essential information to spend the majority of my time looking at the works. Every artwork has some form of the explanatory caption, and some works are put in prominent locations at the center of the main walls, such as Henry Clay Frick’s painting.
In conclusion, Henry Clay Frick’s and Anthony van Dyck’s paintings were analyzed alongside the museum itself. The exhibition felt exciting and overwhelming, but I think it was satisfactory. Other visitors could not be assessed due to the virtual nature of the visit, and I fully approve of the display and collection of the artworks. My appraisal is appreciative because it is a form of visual learning of art history. I have no concerns or questions to raise about the subject.