Frick Art Research Library, Art research library in Manhattan, US
The Frick Art Research Library is a specialized research library in Manhattan that documents European art and artistic developments from the fourth through the twentieth century. Its collection includes photographs, books, auction catalogs, and historical documents covering art traditions across various periods and regions.
Helen Clay Frick founded this library in 1920 to give art scholars and researchers access to extensive art historical documentation. Since then, it has remained one of the leading institutions for European art research in North America.
The library serves as a meeting place for art historians and researchers from around the world who come to study European artistic traditions. Inside the reading room, specialists work daily with primary sources, creating an active center for serious art scholarship.
The reading room is easily reached by public transportation, but advance registration is needed to access the collections. The facility is currently undergoing renovations and is scheduled to reopen in April 2025.
The collection holds one of the largest assemblies of historical auction catalogs that document art market trends across centuries. These catalogs allow researchers to trace how individual artworks were valued and what collectors preferred at different points in history.
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