Impressed by art

Yesterday, I had a hit of culture in the form of the Frick collection. Henry Clay Frick was an industrialist and patron of the arts who commissioned a large family home to be built on 70th and 5th Avenue, overlooking Central Park. It is thought that at the back of his mind, Frick intended this place to become a gallery, in which the public could enjoy the works in his collection, which includes Vermeers, Turners, Rembrandts, several Van Dycks, and Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas Moore.

The house is quite spectacular, not ostentatious, not showy, but the way in which art is central to its design. The West Gallery actually made me smile as I entered the room. Not only because of Turner's picture of Cologne that make an immediate bid for the eyes' attention, but because the proportions, colours, textures and lighting of the room make it one of the most compelling settings for looking at 19th century painting that I've ever come across.

The evening was less cultural, and a lot more energetic, we ended up at a place called PM in the meatpacking district, which is a little ironic when you think about it ... Pictures, plus more of the evening outings of the week are available here.