"In emails, Epstein waxes poetic about the Gilded Age mansion as a place to view masterpieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer and brags about knowledge of the "secret bowling alley" in the Frick's basement. (Which is not exactly a secret.) In a letter addressed to civic leaders, he derided one of the Frick's expansion plans as "brutish" and a "travesty," raising concerns about the destruction of a Russell Page-designed garden and windows replacing design elements on the wall facing his property."
"Dear Chair Srinivasan Only this past weekend was I informed of the details of plans submitted to the Commission for approval of a brutish and apparently unjustified expansion of The Frick Collection. . . Although my home [of 18 years]. . . is literally across the street from the 71st Street entrance of the Frick Art Reference Library, The Frick's management has made no attempt to provide me with any meaningful detail."
Newly released files show Jeffrey Epstein closely monitored the Frick Collection across the street from his Manhattan mansion and opposed proposed museum expansion plans. Epstein drafted multiple letters in May 2018 to the Landmarks Preservation Commission chair criticizing the expansion as "brutish" and a "travesty," citing threats to a Russell Page-designed garden and changes to windows facing his property. Epstein touted the mansion's art by Rembrandt and Vermeer and claimed insider knowledge of a "secret bowling alley" in the Frick's basement. Documents name other high-powered neighbors who also opposed the expansion; it is unclear if Epstein sent the letters.
Read at Artnet News
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]