Henry Clay and Helen Frick
Social Media Share Tools
Object Details
- Artist
- Edmund Charles Tarbell, 26 Apr 1862 - 1 Aug 1938
- Sitter
- Henry Clay Frick, 19 Dec 1849 - 2 Dec 1919
- Helen Clay Frick, 2 Sep 1888 - Nov 1984
- 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
- Credit Line
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution
- c. 1910
- Object number
- NPG.81.121
- Restrictions & Rights
- CC0
- Type
- Painting
- 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")
- See more items in
- National Portrait Gallery Collection
- Exhibition
- Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
- On View
- NPG, East Gallery 131
- National Portrait Gallery
- Topic
- Costume\Headgear\Hat
- Exterior\Landscape
- Personal Attribute\Facial Hair\Beard
- Costume\Dress Accessory\Feather
- Costume\Dress Accessory\Neckwear\Tie\Bowtie
- Henry Clay Frick: Male
- Henry Clay Frick: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist\Patron of the arts
- Henry Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Art collector
- Henry Clay Frick: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Industrialist
- Henry Clay Frick: Business and Finance\Businessperson\Industrialist\Manufacturer\Steel
- Helen Clay Frick: Female
- Helen Clay Frick: Society and Social Change\Philanthropist\Patron of the arts
- Helen Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Art collector
- Helen Clay Frick: Visual Arts\Visual arts administrator\Art museum administrator\Art museum trustee
- Helen Clay Frick: Education and Scholarship\Founder\Library
- Portrait
- Record ID
- npg_NPG.81.121
- Metadata Usage (text)
- CC0
- GUID (Link to Original Record)
- http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm44d8c7fd2-a60d-486f-9209-98a36ed814bb
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.