THE FRICK COLLECTION
The Frick Museum is best known for its numerous artworks by famous European artists, its’ countless sculptures and beautiful porcelains but the painting that best caught my attention was that of a young Lady Hamilton. At first glance, the painting depicts a 17 year old Lady Hamilton holding a dog with a small smile playing on her lips. This oil painting is beautiful and feminine with an adorable dog next to her that seems to add onto her youth. By looking at the painting, there is obviously more it; all the way from her small smile to the cloudy sky which seems to slightly engulf her.
Lady Hamilton, also known as Emma Lion or Emma Hart, was the daughter of a simple blacksmith whose beauty led her from a small beginnings to international fame. When Emma Lion was 16, she met Charles Greville, a Member of Parliament for Warwick, who fell in love with her and her beauty. Soon after, Emma Lion became Greville’s mistress and per Greville’s request, changed her name to Emma Hart. Captivated by her beauty, Greville asked George Romney, a friend, to paint a portrait of Emma, who was 17 at the time (Paintings in The...). This painting is currently on display at the Frick Collection Museum in the Library room along with many others. A couple of years later, Sir William Hamilton the British ambassador to Naples came to town and a financially drained Charles Greville proposed “giving’ Emma to Sir William to better his chances to marry someone with money to live off of. Astounded by her beauty, William Hamilton accepted and paid for her ride to Naples. Unknowingly, Emma was shipped over to Naples only to later realize Greville lied to her and would never see him again. In her frustration she had an affair with Hamilton and in 1791 they got married. He educated her in social refinements, music and literature all which helped further grow the success of her “Attitudes”, best described as romantic posturing (Art in The...). She then had an affair with Horatio Nelson, the man she truly loved (Williams). Their love grew strong but they could not marry one another since they were married to other people, and divorce was deemed unacceptable at the time. When William Hamilton passed, Emma hoped to marry Nelson but was unable since he was still married. Nelson was later was called to battle but did not make it back alive and never married Emma. Alone and distraught, Emma fell into depression which only manifested itself and soon after went into debt (even after she inherited from both Nelson and Hamilton). In 1815, Emma Hart passed away with no money and in poverty.
Looking at the painting, it’s hard to believe a girl as beautiful and posh as Lady Hamilton would die in the manner she did. She died alone and in poverty which is exactly the opposite of how I imagined. It seems that Emma Hart died the same way she was born. Her lifestyle choices could have led her there but it may have been predetermined. The reason I say this is because of the cloudy and dark background behind her in the portrait. It seems to surround her head and lurk around her inconspicuously while the much clearer sky seems very distant. The dark shadows could be seen as the troublesome life and the clear sky could be seen as the “good life” she wanted. Or perhaps the grey clouds represent all the bad choices she had already made, allowing herself to be property of a man and everything they put her through. Emma expected a better life than what she grew up in but the shadows surrounding her could predict that there would always be the “darkness” surrounding her life. The cloudy sky around her and the small smile she wears could contradict one another. It could show that although her beauty could eventually give her fulfillment, her life wouldn’t end that way. In a sense she knew that her beauty would open doors for her and that she would live a life much different than she started off with. A question that came to mind though was, “Could it had been foreshadowing a troubled future for Emma at such a young age?”
Greville’s purpose of asking for a portrait of Emma was not only to capture Emma’s full-blown beauty but to preserve it. By adding the puppy to the picture, I think they further tried to extend her radiant youth. The puppy actually does help enhance it and gives the picture a more innocent, juvenile and sincere feel to it. Beauty is often referred to as youth because when you are young, you are considered to be at the “prime” of your beauty. Sometimes it is believed your beauty just fades as the years go by so by focusing on portraying youth, they enhance Emma’s already existing beauty. As for the way her face is tilted, I think it was intended to, once again, appeal to her youth considering she was 17 years old when this picture was drawn. It makes her look innocent and sweet, which makes her beauty even more prominent and I think that’s exactly what George Romney intended considering he too was astonished by her beauty.
Lastly, while looking at the painting, we are left examining Emma’s face and her facial expressions. In the picture, Emma wears a small, discreet and almost unrecognizable smile with her face tilted slightly to the side. As soon as I saw the picture, I drew a small connection to the Mona Lisa. Although Emma’s smile is much more prominent than that of Mona Lisa, the slant of the mouth seems similar and the feeling it gives off to people is almost the same. These women are well known throughout history, but even so there is still so much that remains a mystery in their lives. To me, it’s not a bad feeling, it’s more of a mystery feeling it gives off. No one can be sure of Emma’s real intention for the smile. It could be that she found something funny, she’s enjoying her new lavish lifestyle and envisioning her future or she could simply be posing as she were told. We can’t be sure how her smile was meant to come off but by analyzing it, we can try to build a better character of Emma’s persona.
As I walked inside the Frick Museum, I thought it looked exactly like a miniature mansion. The Frick Museum is unlike any other museum I’ve seen in New York City because it actually looks like someone’s home. The small garden at the front makes the house look warm and extravagant at the same time and the huge garden in the middle of the house is gorgeous. It was, by far, my favorite part of the house. The overhead glass “window” lets the sunlight shine in and further enhances the big fountain in the middle of the garden. I’m not sure about Frick’s religious affiliations but to me, I interpreted the fountain to be in the shape of a cross with soft edges. I thought it may have been a way for Frick to show his religious views in a discreet way. Although it may not be directly implied, Frick could have had a Christian view since he had a painting of Adam and Eve. What stood out the most was the fact that this picture of Adam and Eve was not in the room with greens wall which is symbolic for them still not being allowed into the Garden of Eden. When you enter the museum, you can see all the different works of art. The art ranges all the way from paintings, sculptures and porcelain to exquisite clocks and elegant carpeting in almost every room. The pillars are high and the furniture was extravagant and home-like. The fireplaces were old fashioned and a refreshing touch in a city like New York. What I found to be very interesting though was that the walls had the same color scheme as the works of art, so in a sense they were not only individual pieces of art but one grand piece of art that included various elements (of course these elements were his individual pieces of art). Although I was not able to go upstairs, the staircase looked almost like something out of a storybook. The works of art were definitely one of a kind but the house itself seemed to be a unique work of art considering it was so different from every other building around it. If the house is any indication of the way Frick came across to people then he was a wealthy, sophisticated and cultured man. I enjoyed my trip to the Frick Museum and there’s no doubt I’ll be back again since I rather enjoyed my small “trip” back to the 17th, 18th and 19th century.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Works Cited
Art in The Frick Collection: Paintings, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1996.
Paintings in The Frick Collection: American, British, Dutch, Flemish and German. Volume I. New York: The Frick Collection, 1968.
Williams, Kate. "Nelson and Lady Hamilton: A Very Public Affair." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.
The Frick Museum is best known for its numerous artworks by famous European artists, its’ countless sculptures and beautiful porcelains but the painting that best caught my attention was that of a young Lady Hamilton. At first glance, the painting depicts a 17 year old Lady Hamilton holding a dog with a small smile playing on her lips. This oil painting is beautiful and feminine with an adorable dog next to her that seems to add onto her youth. By looking at the painting, there is obviously more it; all the way from her small smile to the cloudy sky which seems to slightly engulf her.
Lady Hamilton, also known as Emma Lion or Emma Hart, was the daughter of a simple blacksmith whose beauty led her from a small beginnings to international fame. When Emma Lion was 16, she met Charles Greville, a Member of Parliament for Warwick, who fell in love with her and her beauty. Soon after, Emma Lion became Greville’s mistress and per Greville’s request, changed her name to Emma Hart. Captivated by her beauty, Greville asked George Romney, a friend, to paint a portrait of Emma, who was 17 at the time (Paintings in The...). This painting is currently on display at the Frick Collection Museum in the Library room along with many others. A couple of years later, Sir William Hamilton the British ambassador to Naples came to town and a financially drained Charles Greville proposed “giving’ Emma to Sir William to better his chances to marry someone with money to live off of. Astounded by her beauty, William Hamilton accepted and paid for her ride to Naples. Unknowingly, Emma was shipped over to Naples only to later realize Greville lied to her and would never see him again. In her frustration she had an affair with Hamilton and in 1791 they got married. He educated her in social refinements, music and literature all which helped further grow the success of her “Attitudes”, best described as romantic posturing (Art in The...). She then had an affair with Horatio Nelson, the man she truly loved (Williams). Their love grew strong but they could not marry one another since they were married to other people, and divorce was deemed unacceptable at the time. When William Hamilton passed, Emma hoped to marry Nelson but was unable since he was still married. Nelson was later was called to battle but did not make it back alive and never married Emma. Alone and distraught, Emma fell into depression which only manifested itself and soon after went into debt (even after she inherited from both Nelson and Hamilton). In 1815, Emma Hart passed away with no money and in poverty.
Looking at the painting, it’s hard to believe a girl as beautiful and posh as Lady Hamilton would die in the manner she did. She died alone and in poverty which is exactly the opposite of how I imagined. It seems that Emma Hart died the same way she was born. Her lifestyle choices could have led her there but it may have been predetermined. The reason I say this is because of the cloudy and dark background behind her in the portrait. It seems to surround her head and lurk around her inconspicuously while the much clearer sky seems very distant. The dark shadows could be seen as the troublesome life and the clear sky could be seen as the “good life” she wanted. Or perhaps the grey clouds represent all the bad choices she had already made, allowing herself to be property of a man and everything they put her through. Emma expected a better life than what she grew up in but the shadows surrounding her could predict that there would always be the “darkness” surrounding her life. The cloudy sky around her and the small smile she wears could contradict one another. It could show that although her beauty could eventually give her fulfillment, her life wouldn’t end that way. In a sense she knew that her beauty would open doors for her and that she would live a life much different than she started off with. A question that came to mind though was, “Could it had been foreshadowing a troubled future for Emma at such a young age?”
Greville’s purpose of asking for a portrait of Emma was not only to capture Emma’s full-blown beauty but to preserve it. By adding the puppy to the picture, I think they further tried to extend her radiant youth. The puppy actually does help enhance it and gives the picture a more innocent, juvenile and sincere feel to it. Beauty is often referred to as youth because when you are young, you are considered to be at the “prime” of your beauty. Sometimes it is believed your beauty just fades as the years go by so by focusing on portraying youth, they enhance Emma’s already existing beauty. As for the way her face is tilted, I think it was intended to, once again, appeal to her youth considering she was 17 years old when this picture was drawn. It makes her look innocent and sweet, which makes her beauty even more prominent and I think that’s exactly what George Romney intended considering he too was astonished by her beauty.
Lastly, while looking at the painting, we are left examining Emma’s face and her facial expressions. In the picture, Emma wears a small, discreet and almost unrecognizable smile with her face tilted slightly to the side. As soon as I saw the picture, I drew a small connection to the Mona Lisa. Although Emma’s smile is much more prominent than that of Mona Lisa, the slant of the mouth seems similar and the feeling it gives off to people is almost the same. These women are well known throughout history, but even so there is still so much that remains a mystery in their lives. To me, it’s not a bad feeling, it’s more of a mystery feeling it gives off. No one can be sure of Emma’s real intention for the smile. It could be that she found something funny, she’s enjoying her new lavish lifestyle and envisioning her future or she could simply be posing as she were told. We can’t be sure how her smile was meant to come off but by analyzing it, we can try to build a better character of Emma’s persona.
As I walked inside the Frick Museum, I thought it looked exactly like a miniature mansion. The Frick Museum is unlike any other museum I’ve seen in New York City because it actually looks like someone’s home. The small garden at the front makes the house look warm and extravagant at the same time and the huge garden in the middle of the house is gorgeous. It was, by far, my favorite part of the house. The overhead glass “window” lets the sunlight shine in and further enhances the big fountain in the middle of the garden. I’m not sure about Frick’s religious affiliations but to me, I interpreted the fountain to be in the shape of a cross with soft edges. I thought it may have been a way for Frick to show his religious views in a discreet way. Although it may not be directly implied, Frick could have had a Christian view since he had a painting of Adam and Eve. What stood out the most was the fact that this picture of Adam and Eve was not in the room with greens wall which is symbolic for them still not being allowed into the Garden of Eden. When you enter the museum, you can see all the different works of art. The art ranges all the way from paintings, sculptures and porcelain to exquisite clocks and elegant carpeting in almost every room. The pillars are high and the furniture was extravagant and home-like. The fireplaces were old fashioned and a refreshing touch in a city like New York. What I found to be very interesting though was that the walls had the same color scheme as the works of art, so in a sense they were not only individual pieces of art but one grand piece of art that included various elements (of course these elements were his individual pieces of art). Although I was not able to go upstairs, the staircase looked almost like something out of a storybook. The works of art were definitely one of a kind but the house itself seemed to be a unique work of art considering it was so different from every other building around it. If the house is any indication of the way Frick came across to people then he was a wealthy, sophisticated and cultured man. I enjoyed my trip to the Frick Museum and there’s no doubt I’ll be back again since I rather enjoyed my small “trip” back to the 17th, 18th and 19th century.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Works Cited
Art in The Frick Collection: Paintings, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, New York: Harry N. Abrams, 1996.
Paintings in The Frick Collection: American, British, Dutch, Flemish and German. Volume I. New York: The Frick Collection, 1968.
Williams, Kate. "Nelson and Lady Hamilton: A Very Public Affair." BBC News. BBC, 17 Feb. 2011. Web. 28 Oct. 2013.