The FRICK's Current Collection of Van Dyk's Art is a Treasure Trove Not to be Missed

The Frick Museum is one of the world's most beautiful art museums.  Originally the residence of Amer industrialist Henry Frick (1849-1919) the elegant mansion houses artifacts and old masters' paintings amassed by Frick.  The inner atrium is a haven of tranquility.  The current exhibit of works by Anthony van Dyck (b. Belgium 1599-1641) is an expansive array of his drawings, prints & paintings that are extremely pleasing to the eye.  Dyck studied under Rubens and Titian.  On an interesting note, several of the works have been rectified as Dyck's works which had heretofore been attributed to his mentors.  The downstairs galleries contain his pencil drawings & sketches.  The deceptively simple pencil or chalk drawings convey his subjects with a definite sense of character.  Van Dyck's self-portraits at an early age evoke an impish & inquisitive personality.  The older, self-portraits emit an elegance & mischievousness.  Because of his renown skills and social connections, van Dyck was commissioned by many of the most elite & influential people of the 17th C.  He made portraitures of high ranking military personnel, royalty, religious leaders and fellow artists.  I was delighted by his sketches of his beloved greyhound (reportedly to have saved his life) & the few equestrian drawings.  There seemed to be a fascination with depicting hands.  The collection contains numerous studies made solely of hands.  His oil paintings show prominently graceful & slender fingers & hands.  The large scale portraits are in the upstairs gallery including the seminole portrait of Charles I.  The Van Dyck exhibition is a thrilling collection of masterful works well worth a visit to the Frick.