The Frick Presents The King at War, Closes 1/23/2011

Since its acquisition by Henry Clay Frick in February 1911, Velázquez's portrait ofPhilip IV of Spain has been a centerpiece of the collection and the standard by which other portraits by this artist are measured.The King at War: Velázquez's Portrait of Philip IV closes January 23, 2011.

Although the work has always been rightly admired for its good condition, layers of protective varnish discolored over the years, diminishing the splendid surface effects. In the summer of 2009 the portrait was sent for treatment to Michael Gallagher, Sherman Fairchild Conservator in charge of paintings at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, at which time the first technical studies of the work were also undertaken.

In the ensuing months, The Frick Collection engaged in fresh research on the history of this iconic painting, and this fall a dossier exhibition organized by Pablo Pérez d'Ors, the museum's former Andrew W. Mellon Curatorial Fellow, will present findings resulting from both areas of inquiry. Visitors can experience the portrait in terms of its recent treatment and examination, while learning more about the circumstances under which it was painted and displayed and, above all, consider the reasons for the artist's unusual decision to depict the king as a soldier. 

This exclusive presentation is made possible by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and is accompanied by public programs as well as a scholarly article in The Burlington Magazine, a special offprint of which will be available at the Museum Shop. Also on view this fall at the Frick is a major exhibition on the broad tradition of draftsmanship on the Iberian Peninsula, The Spanish