Between 1916 and 1918, Henry Clay Frick purchased several important pieces of porcelain to decorate his New York mansion. Made at Sèvres, the preeminent eighteenth-century French porcelain manufactory, the objects — including vases, potpourris, jugs and basins, plates, a tea service, and a table — were displayed throughout Frick’s residence. From Sèvres to Fifth Avenue brought them together in the Portico Gallery, along with a selection of pieces acquired at a later date, some of which are rarely on view. The exhibition presented a new perspective on the collection by exploring the role Sèvres porcelain played in eighteenth-century France, as well as during the American Gilded Age.
The exhibition was organized by Charlotte Vignon, Curator of Decorative Arts.
This exhibition was accompanied by a catalogue in both English and French.
The exhibition is made possible by Sidney R. Knafel and Londa Weisman.
Sèvres Porcelain Manufactory, Pot-pourri " à Vaisseau," ca. 1759. Soft-paste porcelain, with later addition of a gilt-bronze base, 17 1/2 × 14 7/8× 7 1/2 in. (44.5 × 37.8 × 19 cm). The Frick Collection; Henry Clay Frick Bequest (1916.9.07)