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Catalog Data

Artist:
Edmund Charles Tarbell, 26 Apr 1862 - 1 Aug 1938  Search this
Sitter:
Henry Clay Frick, 19 Dec 1849 - 2 Dec 1919  Search this
Helen Clay Frick, 2 Sep 1888 - Nov 1984  Search this
Medium:
Oil on canvas
Dimensions:
Stretcher: 78.7 x 59.1 x 2.5cm (31 x 23 1/4 x 1")
Frame: 90.5 x 70.2 x 3.8cm (35 5/8 x 27 5/8 x 1 1/2")
Type:
Painting
Date:
c. 1910
Exhibition Label:
Henry Clay Frick 1849–1919, born West Overton, Pennsylvania
Helen Frick 1888–1984, born Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Henry Clay Frick grew up in a family of limited means, but by age thirty he had become a millionaire and a key player in the industrial development of the United States. Recognizing steel as the principal building material of the future, Frick amassed his fortune first by supplying coke—fuel made from coal—to the steel industry and later by partnering with Andrew Carnegie to create the world’s largest steel company. A cutthroat businessman who opposed labor unions, Frick was aggressive in making his operations more efficient. In 1892, during a violent confrontation with steelworkers in Homestead, Pennsylvania, he called in private security guards and the state militia to break the union’s resolve. Seven workers and three guards died in the conflict.
Frick bequeathed much of his fortune to his daughter Helen, shown here, who funded several cultural organizations, most notably New York City’s Frick Collection and Art Reference Library.
Henry Clay Frick 1849–1919, nacido en West Overton, Pensilvania
Helen Frick 1888–1984, nacida en Pittsburgh, Pensilvania
Henry Clay Frick creció en una familia de recursos limitados, pero a los 30 años ya era millonario y figura clave en el desarrollo industrial de EE.UU. Viendo que el acero sería el principal material de construcción del futuro, Frick amasó su fortuna suministrando coque (combustible hecho de carbón) a la industria acerera y luego se asoció con Andrew Carnegie para crear la empresa siderúrgica más grande del mundo. Negociante implacable y opuesto a las uniones obreras, Frick promovió la eficiencia de sus operaciones agresivamente. En 1892, durante una confrontación violenta con sus obreros de Homestead, Pensilvania, empleó guardias privados y la milicia estatal para amedrentar al sindicato. Siete obreros y tres guardias murieron.
Frick legó la mayor parte de su fortuna a su hija Helen, retratada aquí, quien fundó organizaciones culturales como la Colección Frick y la Biblioteca Frick de Consulta sobre Arte, ambas en Nueva York.
Provenance:
The artist; his daughter Mrs. Josephine Tarbell Ferrell; her daughters Mrs. Albert Cannon, Charleston, and Mrs. John W. McLain, Madison, Va.; purchased 1981 through (Carolina Prints & Frames, Charleston, S.C.) by NPG
Topic:
Costume\Headgear\Hat  Search this
Exterior\Landscape  Search this
Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather  Search this
Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie  Search this
Henry Clay Frick: Male  Search this
Henry Clay Frick: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist\Patron of the arts  Search this
Henry Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Art collector  Search this
Henry Clay Frick: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Industrialist  Search this
Henry Clay Frick: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Industrialist\Manufacturer\Steel  Search this
Helen Clay Frick: Female  Search this
Helen Clay Frick: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist\Patron of the arts  Search this
Helen Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Art collector  Search this
Helen Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Visual arts administrator\Art museum administrator\Art museum trustee  Search this
Helen Clay Frick: Education and Scholarship\Founder\Library  Search this
Portrait  Search this
Credit Line:
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
Object number:
NPG.81.121
Restrictions & Rights:
CC0
See more items in:
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition:
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
On View:
NPG, East Gallery 131
Data Source:
National Portrait Gallery
GUID:
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm44d8c7fd2-a60d-486f-9209-98a36ed814bb
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:npg_NPG.81.121