Frick Art Research Library, Art research library in Manhattan, US
The Frick Art Research Library is a specialized art research library on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, focused on European art from the 4th through the 20th century. Its holdings cover photographs, books, auction catalogs, and historical documents that together form a broad record of European artistic traditions.
Helen Clay Frick opened this library in 1920 to give art scholars access to a broad body of art historical documentation. It was built as a companion institution to the nearby Frick Collection museum, with research as its core purpose from the start.
The library is a working space where art historians and researchers from many countries come to study primary sources on European art. Inside the reading room, visitors can observe a quiet but focused daily rhythm of serious scholarly work.
The library is on the Upper East Side and is easy to reach by subway or bus. Access to the collections requires advance registration, and the building is expected to reopen after a renovation in 2025.
The library holds one of the largest collections of historical auction catalogs anywhere, which researchers use to trace how individual artworks moved between collections over time. These records also reveal what collectors favored and how taste shifted from one era to the next.
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