Ian Wardropper

book cover of Limoges Enamels with male with long mustache and hat on blue background
Henry Clay Frick’s Limoges Enamels

In 1916, Henry Clay Frick converted his private office at his home on Fifth Avenue into a gallery for the collection of Limoges enamels that he had purchased from the estate of J. Pierpont Morgan for the then-staggering sum of $1,157,500. What was so compelling about these delicate, jewel-like objects that Frick paid such a high price and was willing to sacrifice his sanctuary for their display?

gold four-legged table with ornate decoration
Gold, Jasper, and Carnelian: Johann Christian Neuber at the Saxon Court
to

Since antiquity, gemstones (also known as hard or semiprecious stones) have been cut and polished for use in jewelry, in the creation of vases and cups, and in the decoration of palaces.

The book cover for The Frick's Director's Choice Book
Remarkable Year of Frick Publications Includes Prestigious Director’s Choice Volume
The book cover for Limoges Enamels in The Frick Collection
Director Ian Wardropper Publishes First Book Dedicated to the Frick’s Remarkable French Enamels Collection
photo of Ian Wardropper
France Honors Frick Director Ian Wardropper with the Medal of Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters
photo of Antonio Weiss
Antonio Weiss Elected to Frick Board of Trustees
photo of circular box decorated with pastoral scenes with gold and semiprecious stones
First Exhibition on the Work of Eighteenth-Century Court Goldsmith Now Touring Europe and U.S.
painting of woman in detailed robe seated on floor looking at pictures, next to gold screen
Frick to Host Symposium in Conjunction with Asia Week 2012
Photo of Ian Wardropper
Ian Wardropper Named Next Director of The Frick Collection
video still of man looking close at gallery wall
The Oval Room: A Symphony in Silver

In this episode of Renovation Stories, Ian Wardropper, Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, presents recent updates to the Oval Room, one of his favorite spaces at the Frick. The room was added in 1935, during the conversion of the historic Frick mansion into a museum. Now, as part of our ongoing renovation project, the gallery’s wall hangings have been replaced with replicas of the original silvery brocade—complementing the beautiful monochromatic portraits by Whistler that will make a return to this distinctive space.