New-York tribune., 1915-03-16
FRACONARD PANELS
NOW IN FRICK HOME
Paintings Sold by J. p,
Morgan Removed from
Museum of Art.
PRICE PAID SAID
TO BE $1,425,0O0
Steel Man Has Room Changed to
Give Pictures Dignified
Background.

The Fragonard masterpieces. lent by
the late J. Pierpont Morgan to the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art and which
have been source Of delight to thou
sands Of art lovers, were removed from
the museum yesterday to their new
quarters in the home Of Henry c..
Frick, at Fifth Avenue and Seventh
eth Street. The paintings, Of which
there are fourteen, all panels, were re-
Gently bought by Duveen Brothers
from J. P. Morgan and resold in a
short time to Mr.. Frick. The last price
paid for them Is said to be S1,425,0O0.
Joseph Duycen superintended the re-
moval Of the paintings from the mu-
scum. when asked in what manner
the pictures are TO be displayed IN the
Fick home he said:
"The pictures have unfortunately
hitherto been unavoidably crowded. Mr.
Frick has the necessary space IN his
new home and | think ! am not wrong
in stating that, although his new draw
ing room had already been completed,
he promptly instructed Sir Charles Al
lom. who was in America, TO design a
new room for them that will be large
enough 10 give them the setting that
such art treasures deserve.
His rooms and galleries form the
most dignifed background for works OF
art in this city and probably in America.
He is a believer in such quiet settings,
with but little ornament that has not
an architectural reason for its exist
ence. regard the Fragonard room as
one Of, if not the greatest, collective
works Of art in the world"
Mr. Duveen declared there is no
single painting by Fragonard at all
comparable TO even one of the I'VE
principal panels Of this set, not merely
on account of size. but because Of the
extraordinary interest the painter took
in their production. Speaking Of other
examples Of this painters art, Mr.. Du-
veen said:
II consider The Swing in the Wal
lace collection, is the best. Then there
are The Fountain of Love in the
Louvre, and his well known Scene IN
the Park formerly in the Rudolf Kann
collection. but now in the possession OF
the Comtesse de Bearn, in Paris. There
are also several other fine examples in
the Paris collections of Edmond Roths-
child, of Paris, and Vail Picard. There
are in America two beautiful Frago-
nard portraits in John W. Simpsons
collection, also an important painting
called La Belle Mere in 5. L. Ber-
irons collection
Asked if his firm would have had any
difficulty in disposng Of such an i'm
portant group Of pictures elsewhere, he
said: "By no means. When we were
negotiating for the room our intention
was to divide it and sell them sepa--
rately to different clients, for we had
had so many applications from people
who may safely be counted among the
important collectors of the world, and
who. Of course. were quite alive to the
high reputation of these famous
panels I need scarcely say that many
of them were keealy sappointed when
they found it impossible 20 secure even
one of them for Europe"
As TO whether the Fragonards will
ever become tho property of the ma
tion. Mr.. Duyecn replied that he had
not the least authority TO speak upon
such point