It’s been busy on the Upper East Side. Two months after The Frick Collection reopened on April 17th, 2025, the stunning space is hosting a new exhibit titled, “Vermeer’s Love Letters” beginning June 18th.
Needless to say, this venture is one for the books: it’s the first special exhibition in the museum’s original space in five years, and it’s housed in the new special exhibition galleries from Selldorf Architects.
(The galleries are an accompaniment to the attraction’s other debut features, like a 220-seat theater and the new 50-seat cafe, Westmoreland)
Ready to check things out?
About “Vermeer’s Love Letters”
Although it seems as if the works are part of a large, cohesive collection, they’ve actually never been housed together simultaneously…until now.
“On the heels of the museum’s public reopening on April 17th, it is fitting that we are debuting our new special exhibition galleries with a closer look at the work of Vermeer, one of the most popular artists in our collection,” Xavier F. Salomon, Deputy Director, said in a statement.
He continued, “His Mistress and Maid is the final masterpiece that museum founder Henry Clay Frick acquired before his death, making this inaugural show a particularly appropriate tribute to his legacy as a collector.”
Two works from the artist are joining Frick’s final piece of art: “The Love Letter from the Rijksmuseum,” originally displayed in Amsterdam, and “Woman Writing a Letter with Her Maid from”displayed at the National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin, both of which are featured near Frick’s “Mistress and Maid.”
The exhibition as a whole is meant to “spotlight letter writing and epistolary exchange in the context of the seventeenth-century,” per the collection’s press department.
The Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Director, Axel Rügerm stated, “This is the first exhibition in New York City since 2001 dedicated to works by Vermeer, one of the most famous artists in the world.”
Make sure to bookmark this exhibit on your summer bucket list — you won’t regret it.
Once you’ve explored The Frick Collection, be sure to have a look at what’s taking place across other NYC museum and galleries this summer.
🗓️ June 18th to August 31st, 2025
📍 The Frick Collection: 1 East 70th St
⏰ Wednesday-Thursday, Saturday-Sunday 11am to 6pm; Friday 11am-9pm