Xavier F. Salomon

Xavier F. Salomon is the Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator of The Frick Collection, a post he assumed in January of 2014. More »

Cocktails with a Curator: Bertoldo's 'Shield Bearer'

video still of Xavier Salomon and statuette

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” join Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon in sipping on a refreshing Daiquiri as he unravels the mystery behind one of the Frick’s exquisite bronze sculptures, “Shield Bearer” by Bertoldo di Giovanni. Together with Xavier, decode details of the work that may point to the identity of the figure portrayed.

Cocktail Recipe

Daiquiri
1 1/2 oz. white rum
1 oz fresh lime juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
serve in a chilled cup

Travels with a Curator: Charterhouse, Bruges

video still of Xavier Salomon and oil painting depicting biblical scene including The Virgin and Child and others
In this week’s episode of “Travels with a Curator,” join Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon as he sets out for Bruges to find the Charterhouse of Genadedal, a monastic complex built by the Carthusians in 1318. The Frick’s sole Jan van Eyck painting, “The Virgin and Child with St. Barbara, St. Elizabeth, and Jan Vos,” was commissioned by Jan Vos, the prior of the charterhouse, in the middle of the 15th century.

Cocktails with a Curator: Veronese's 'Choice between Virtue and Vice'

video still of Aimee Ng and oil painting of man between two women

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” decipher the significance of the many fascinating elements that compose the other large allegorical painting by Paolo Veronese at the Frick, “Choice Between Virtue and Vice,” with Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon. The program is paired with a Negroni Sbagliato, a twist on the cocktail from last week’s episode. Leave a comment below with your favorite detail!

Travels with a Curator: Osuna

video still of Xavier Salomon and building

In this week’s episode of “Travels with a Curator,” journey to the Spanish town of Osuna, most famously known as one of the film locations for “Game of Thrones” but also the title lands of the 9th Duke of Osuna, whose portrait by Goya is in the collection at the Frick. Join Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, as he recounts his trip to rural Andalusia in search for the tomb of the Duke.

Cocktails with a Curator: Veronese's 'Wisdom and Strength'

video still of Xavier Salomon and two oil paintings with multiple figures

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” enjoy a traditional Negroni with Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon as he discusses “Wisdom and Strength,” one of two large allegorical paintings by Paolo Veronese that hang in the West Gallery at the Frick. Discover the hidden message behind the two principal figures in this picture: a bearded brute clad in a lion skin and a woman of noble bearing with a miniature sun above her forehead. Tune in next week for a discussion of the painting’s companion work, “Choice Between Virtue and Vice.”

Travels with a Curator: Villa Barbaro, Maser

video still of Xavier Salomon and building

In this week’s episode of “Travels with a Curator,” join Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, on an excursion to one of his favorite places in the world, Villa Barbaro in Maser, Italy. Designed in the sixteenth century by Andrea Palladio, the villa is decorated floor to ceiling with magnificent frescoes by Paolo Veronese. The Frick is home to two allegorical paintings by Veronese that he produced in the 1560s, shortly after completing his work on the villa.

Travels with a Curator: Santa Maria della Scala, Siena

video still of Xavier Salomon and building

In this week’s episode of “Travels with a Curator,” Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, journeys to Siena to explore Santa Maria della Scala, an eleventh-century complex across from the steps of the cathedral. Behind the modest exterior of this hospital turned museum are a variety of magnificent frescoes and sculptures by Lorenzo di Pietro, better known as Vecchietta. The Frick’s “Resurrection” is the only signed and dated work by the artist in the United States.

Cocktails with a Curator: Holbein's 'Sir Thomas More'

video still of Xavier Salomon and oil painting of man with hat, and distinct necklace

In this week’s episode of “Cocktails with a Curator,” Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director and Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator, examines one of the Frick’s most beloved paintings, Hans Holbein’s “Sir Thomas More.” Xavier considers More's relationship to humanist circles and the role of "friendship portraits" in making the absent present. In the words of More's devoted friend, Desiderius Erasmus, “life without a friend is no life." As a nod to the turbulent times of Tudor England, Xavier pairs this episode with a Bloody Mary cocktail.

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