FRICK COLLECTION ACQUIRES SCHER EUROPEAN MEDALS

The Frick is pleased to announce a promised gift of portrait medals from the Stephen K. and Janie Woo Scher Collection. Considered to be the world's greatest medals collection in private hands, rivaling and often surpassing those in American museums such as the National Gallery of Art, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, it is noted for its comprehensiveness and outstanding quality.

An initial gift of about 450 medals will beautifully trace the development of the art of the medal from its inception in the fifteenth century through the nineteenth century. Among the strengths of the collection—which includes examples from Italy, France, Germany, England, and The Netherlands—are superlative works by the masters Pisanello (Italy), Dupré (France), Reinhart (Germany), and Jonghelinck (Netherlands). A selection of the portrait medals will be featured in a major spring/summer exhibition opening in May of 2017. The show will be accompanied by public programming and an in-depth scholarly publication that catalogs the entirety of this important collection.

Comments Director Ian Wardropper, “Henry Clay Frick had an abiding interest in portraiture as expressed in the paintings, sculpture, enamels, and works on paper he acquired. The Scher medals will coalesce beautifully with these holdings, being understood in our galleries within the broader contexts of European art and culture. At the same time, the intimate scale of the institution will offer a superb platform for the medals to be appreciated as an independent art form, one long overdue for fresh attention and public appreciation.”

Adds Peter Jay Sharp Chief Curator Xavier F. Salomon, “The Frick and the Schers have enjoyed a lengthy and rewarding relationship. Stephen Scher organized the landmark exhibitions The Currency of Fame (The Frick Collection and the National Gallery of Art, 1994) and The Proud Republic: Dutch Medals of the Golden Age (The Frick Collection, 1997).

A world-renowned scholar, Dr. Scher has the ability to instill in new audiences an enthusiasm and appreciation for these remarkable objects. He brings to life these masterpieces of small-scale sculpture, compellingly conveying the circumstances of their creation and their historic significance today. The Frick has enjoyed hosting Dr. Scher as an educator on many occasions, from large public lectures to intimate scholarly seminars and school groups, and we look forward to developing programs with him in conjunction with the upcoming exhibition.”

To read the complete press release, see:
FRICK TO RECEIVE THE MOST IMPORTANT PRIVATE COLLECTION OF PORTRAIT MEDALS (www.frick.org/sites/default/files/pdf/press/ScherMedalsGiftReleaseApril2016.pdf)

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