I loved sitting in the Egyptian wing of the Met. I loved cruising the design exhibit at MOMA. I loved the dizzying spiral walkway in the Guggenheim and how I could never know which floor we were on. But my favorite museum turned out to be the Frick on Fifth Avenue.Half the reason to go to the Frick is to wander around the mansion. Now that I know a thing or two about building houses, I really appreciate the quality of the materials and the grand space. Henry Clay Frick made a fortune in steel, and after he built himself this mansion and decorated it with worldclass art, he died and left it all to the public. I’m guessing that really pissed off his heirs.My grandmother and I went once a week and we’d check out the dining room and the library, sit in the garden, and before we’d leave, I’d visit my favorite painting: Mistress and Maid.One young woman in a regal yellow gown, one in a brown sack dress. One beautiful, one plain. They stand at a small writing table, pen and paper ready.
