Layers of light bring new life to the Frick’s collection of Old Masters, temporarily installed in a Brutalist-designed Manhattan building.
While The Frick Collection in Manhattan undergoes renovation, the institution’s Old Masters collection is temporarily housed in the Breuer Building on Madison Avenue. The feel of the 1960s Brutalist-designed location of Frick Madison is in direct opposition to the permanent mansion’s gilded-age opulence. Set against unadorned gray walls, paintings in gold frames, bronze sculptures and porcelain objects seemingly glow. Anita Jorgensen Lighting Design took a three-layered approach to the lighting scheme after creating a mock-up to compare LEDs and modifying existing track lights to enhance lighting distribution.
First, walls were brushed with 5 to 7 footcandles of soft white light.
Photos: Joseph Coscia Jr.
The gallery’s irregular window is equipped with a fritted light reducing, UV-blocking film, while a single fixture is equipped with a filter to subtly shift from 3000K to a cooler 3400K to blend with natural daylight.
Photos: Joseph Coscia Jr.
Light-sensitive Mughal carpets within the exhibit are limited to 3- to 5-fc illumination.
Photos: Joseph Coscia Jr.
Then, paintings were highlighted at 18 to 27 fc. Finally, the floor was illuminated with 5 fc of ambient light to avoid a donut effect.
Photos: Joseph Coscia Jr.
A single shadow in the porcelain installation provides a sense of visual consistency.
Photos: Joseph Coscia Jr.