# Michael Friedsam

Col. Michael Friedsam (1860–1931) was an American philanthropist of New York City. Friedsam was the former president of B. Altman and Company and one of the premier art collectors in America at that time.
The Friedsam residence located at 44 East 68th Street was built in 1921. The five-story building fashioned in limestone was designed by Frederick Frost, with wrought ironwork by Samuel Yellin. Friedsam's collection contained numerous masterpieces by artists such as Vermeer, Rembrandt, Jan Van Eyck, and Botticelli. After Friedsam's death in 1931, the residence became a top-rated Catholic high school for girls, Dominican Academy. Many of the original architectural elements, including carved marble fireplaces, stained glass windows, and ornate woodwork, are still in place today creating a unique environment for learning.
Friedsam never married and left his estate valued at $20 million ($470 million in 2023) to charities and public bequests. A large part of his collection was bequeathed to the Metropolitan Museum of Art (then valued at $2.5 million; $60 million in 2023), and another part to the Brooklyn Museum of Art (then valued at $130,000). Today the Brooklyn museum would like to divest some of the works but are restricted by the bequest.
The list of paintings from the MET bequest still in the collection are:
| title | painter | date | accession number | The Met url |
| A Peasant Woman Picking Fleas off a Dog | Adriaen Brouwer | | 32.100.1 | MET |
| The Brawl | copy after Adriaen Brouwer | 1700s | 32.100.2 | MET |
| A Peasant with a Bird | Adriaen Brouwer | | 32.100.3 | MET |
| The Lacemaker | Nicolaes Maes | 1656 | 32.100.5 | MET |
| Country House near the Water | Jan van Goyen | 1646 | 32.100.6 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | Spanish (Andalusian) Painter | 1700s | 32.100.7 | MET |
| Frans Hals (1582/83–1666) | Copy after Frans Hals | 1560s | 32.100.8 | MET |
| The Reader | Eglon van der Neer | | 32.100.9 | MET |
| A Young Woman in a Landscape | an anonymous Dutch painter | 1636 | 32.100.10 | MET |
| Sports on a Frozen River | Aert van der Neer | | 32.100.11 | MET |
| Barnyard Scene | Anthonie van Borssom | | 32.100.12 | MET |
| Grainfields | Jacob van Ruisdael | 1668 | 32.100.14 | MET |
| Woman with a Water Pitcher, and a Man by a Bed ("The Maidservant") | Pieter de Hooch | 1667 | 32.100.15 | MET |
| Winter Scene | Style of Jan van de Cappelle | 1990 | 32.100.16 | MET |
| The Allegory of Faith | Johannes Vermeer | 1670 | 32.100.18 | MET |
| Sentimental Conversation | Quirijn van Brekelenkam | 1660s | 32.100.19 | MET |
| Equestrian Portrait of Cornelis (1639–1680) and Michiel Pompe van Meerdervoort (1638–1653) with Their Tutor and Coachman ("Starting for the Hunt") | Aelbert Cuyp | | 32.100.20 | MET |
| The Smokers | Adriaen Brouwer | | 32.100.21 | MET |
| Bellona | Rembrandt | 1633 | 32.100.23 | MET |
| Sebastian Andorfer (1469–1537) | Hans Maler zu Schwaz | 1517 | 32.100.33 | MET |
| The Annunciation | Petrus Christus | 1422 1450 | 32.100.35 | MET |
| Man Weighing Gold | Adriaen Isenbrandt | | 32.100.36 | MET |
| Frans Francken I (1542–1616) | Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens | 1700s | 32.100.37 | MET |
| The Annunciation | South Netherlandish Painter | 1500s | 32.100.38 | MET |
| The Nativity | South Netherlandish Painter | 1460 | 32.100.39 | MET |
| The Nativity | Gerard David | | 32.100.40a | MET |
| Saint John the Baptist; Saint Francis Receiving the Stigmata | Gerard David | 1490s | 32.100.40bc | MET |
| A Donor Presented by a Saint | Circle of Dieric Bouts | 1460 | 32.100.41 | MET |
| Virgin and Child | Workshop of Peter Paul Rubens | | 32.100.42 | MET |
| Portrait of Francesco d'Este | Rogier van der Weyden | 1460 | 32.100.43 | MET |
| The Holy Family with Saint Paul and a Donor | Style of Rogier van der Weyden | 1500s | 32.100.44 | MET |
| Portrait of a Young Man of the Van Steynoert Family | Netherlandish Painter | | 32.100.45 | MET |
| Charles V (1500–1558), Holy Roman Emperor | an anonymous Netherlandish painter | 1520 | 32.100.46 | MET |
| Portrait of a Woman | Quentin Matsys | | 32.100.47 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | Quentin Matsys | 1520 | 32.100.49 | MET |
| Portrait of a Woman of the Slosgin Family of Cologne | Barthel Bruyn the Younger | 1557 | 32.100.50 | MET |
| The Rest on the Flight into Egypt | Follower of Quentin Metsys | 1540 | 32.100.52 | MET |
| Virgin and Child | Attributed to Simon Bening | 1520 | 32.100.53 | MET |
| Salvator Mundi | Workshop of Hans Memling | 1475 | 32.100.54 | MET |
| The Man of Sorrows | Aelbrecht Bouts | | 32.100.55 | MET |
| Abner's Messenger before David (?); The Queen of Sheba Bringing Gifts to Solomon; The Annunciation | Master of the legend of St. Barbara | 1480 | 32.100.56a–d | MET |
| The Holy Family | Joos van Cleve | | 32.100.57 | MET |
| Virgin and Child | Style of Hans Memling | 1490s | 32.100.58 | MET |
| Virgin and Child | Hans Memling | 1470s | 32.100.59 | MET |
| The Annunciation | Joos van Cleve | 1525 | 32.100.60 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | Circle of Lucas Cranach the Elder | 1537 | 32.100.61 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | Jan Gossaert | | 32.100.62 | MET |
| Saint Paul with Paolo Pagagnotti; Christ Appearing to His Mother | Master of the legend of St. Ursula | | 32.100.63ab | MET |
| Salvator Mundi | Albrecht Dürer the Elder | | 32.100.64 | MET |
| Portrait of a Woman | Italian (Florentine) Painter | 1600s | 32.100.66 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | Domenico Ghirlandaio | 1448 | 32.100.67 | MET |
| Portrait of a Young Man | Biagio d'Antonio | | 32.100.68 | MET |
| The Story of Joseph | Biagio d'Antonio | | 32.100.69 | MET |
| Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints | Workshop of Bernardo Daddi | 1400s | 32.100.70 | MET |
| Selvaggia Sassetti (born 1470) | Davide Ghirlandaio | 1487s | 32.100.71 | MET |
| Madonna and Child with Saints Jerome and Francis | Italian (Umbrian) Painter | 1600s | 32.100.74 | MET |
| Madonna and Child with Saints | Giovanni di Paolo | 1454 | 32.100.76 | MET |
| The Legend of the Infant Servius Tullius | Bonifazio Veronese | | 32.100.78 | MET |
| Madonna and Child with the Infant Saint John the Baptist and Angels | Pseudo-Pier Francesco Fiorentino | 1500s | 32.100.79 | MET |
| The Nativity with Saints | Ridolfo Ghirlandaio | | 32.100.80 | MET |
| Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist | Andrea Solari | | 32.100.81 | MET |
| Christ Crowned with Thorns | Antonello da Messina | | 32.100.82 | MET |
| Saints Catherine of Alexandria, Barbara, Agatha, and Margaret | Giovanni di Paolo | | 32.100.83a–d | MET |
| Madonna and Child with Angels | Cosimo Rosselli | | 32.100.84 | MET |
| Doge Andrea Gritti (1455–1538) | Workshop of Titian | 1600s | 32.100.85 | MET |
| Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints James Minor and Lucy | Paolo Veneziano | | 32.100.87 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | North Italian Painter | 1597 | 32.100.88 | MET |
| Head of the Madonna | Franciabigio | | 32.100.89 | MET |
| Madonna and Child | Italian (Venetian) Painter | 1500s | 32.100.93 | MET |
| Madonna and Child | Ercole Banci | 1600s | 32.100.94 | MET |
| The Miraculous Communion of Saint Catherine of Siena | Giovanni di Paolo | | 32.100.95 | MET |
| The Annunciation | Italian (Marchigian?) painter | 1500s | 32.100.96 | MET |
| Butler Madonna | Andrea Mantegna | 1460 | 32.100.97 | MET |
| Portrait of a Woman | Attributed to Giovanni di Franco | 1450s | 32.100.98 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man in Profile | ? Italian Painter | 1525 | 32.100.99 | MET |
| Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints Peter and Paul and Angels | Lippo Vanni | | 32.100.100 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | North Italian Painter (MET, 32.100.101) | | 32.100.101 | MET |
| The Le Cellier Altarpiece | Jehan Bellegambe | 1509 | 32.100.102 | MET |
| Jean d'Albon de Saint-André (1472–1549) | Attributed to Corneille de Lyon | 1600s | 32.100.103 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man with a High Hat | an anonymous French painter | 1570 | 32.100.104 | MET |
| Virgin and Child Enthroned with Saints Catherine and Jerome | Spanish Painter | 1500s | 32.100.105 | MET |
| The Crucifixion, (reverse) Saint Francis of Assisi; The Resurrection, (reverse) An Abbot Saint, Possibly Saint Benedict | an anonymous northern French painter | 1460 | 32.100.106–7 | MET |
| The Crucifixion of Saint Peter with a Donor; The Legend of Saint Anthony Abbot with a Donor; The Annunciation | Northern French Painter | 1500s | 32.100.108–11 | MET |
| Christ Bearing the Cross | Northern French Painter | 1500s | 32.100.112 | MET |
| Portrait of a Widow | Style of Corneille de Lyon | 1600s | 32.100.113 | MET |
| Monsieur de Bellefourière | French Painter | 1521 | 32.100.114 | MET |
| Portrait of a Young Man | an anonymous French (Burgundian?) painter | 1495 | 32.100.115 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man Wearing the Order of the Annunziata of Savoy | anonymous French painter | 1600s | 32.100.116 | MET |
| Jan (1438–1516), First Count of Egmond; Countess of Egmond (Magdalena van Werdenburg, 1464–1538) | North Netherlandish Painter | 1600s | 32.100.118, 122 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man in White | Monogrammist LAM | 1574 | 32.100.119 | MET |
| Francis I (1494–1547), King of France | Workshop of Joos van Cleve | 1600s 1500s | 32.100.120 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man | attributed to Corneille de Lyon (MET, 32.100.121) | 1600s | 32.100.121 | MET |
| Christ among the Doctors | an anonymous Catalan Painter | 1500s | 32.100.123 | MET |
| Charles IX (1550–1574), King of France | Style of François Clouet | 1561 | 32.100.124 | MET |
| Charles Coguin, Abbot of Anchin | Jehan Bellegambe | | 32.100.125 | MET |
| Salome Dancing before Herod | Spanish (Catalan) Painter | 1500s | 32.100.126 | MET |
| The Beheading of Saint John the Baptist | Spanish (Catalan) Painter | 1500s | 32.100.127 | MET |
| Salome with the Head of Saint John the Baptist | Spanish (Catalan) Painter | 1500s | 32.100.128 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man with a Gold Chain | Corneille de Lyon | 1600s | 32.100.129 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man of the Moncheaux Family | an anonymous northern French painter | 1605 | 32.100.130 | MET |
| Portrait of a Man with a Pointed Collar | Attributed to Corneille de Lyon | 1600s | 32.100.131 | MET |
| Benjamin Franklin (1706–1790) | Joseph Duplessis | 1778 | 32.100.132 | MET |
| A Village in a Valley | Théodore Rousseau | | 32.100.133 | MET |
| Boatman among the Reeds | Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot | | 32.100.136 | MET |
| Head of a Young Boy | Jean-Baptiste Greuze | 1763 | 32.100.137 | MET |
| A Hare, Partridges, and Fruit | Jan Fyt | | 32.100.141 | MET |
| Portrait of a Woman | Nicholas Hilliard | | 32.100.311 | MET |