Chelsea’s
Masters of
Fine Frames
and three secretary of states in a row- Madeleine Albright, General Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice.”
Ask Mandel about any artist and he will have a story about
the work the House of Heydenryk has done with them or for
their artwork. Picking a favorite project, however, “is like
choosing your favorite child” Mandel admits. “It’s absolutely
wonderful that I get to hold, take care of and frame some of
the greatest works of art in history… In the last 5 years, I’ve
framed Fra Angelico, Van Gogh, Raphael, so many artists. All
of the major Impressionists and German Expressionists.” He
also mentioned Tamara de Lempicka and Frida Kahlo.
The House of Heydenryk’s clients include
museums, celebrities and The White House.
Products and Services
by Kelly Sullivan
T
Contributor
here is no better place for one of the world’s
oldest and most renowned framing companies
in the world to be located than in the heart of
the burgeoning Chelsea art district. Introducing the
framing firm that needs no introduction, The House
of Heydenryk (pronounced HI-den-rike). Originally
of Dutch descent, founded in Amsterdam in 1845,
the company gained global recognition as one of the
world’s most prestigious picture framing firms by the
mid-20th century. Current President David Mandel
guides the business with the same principles as when
the company first came to the United States back
in the 1930s, brought over by the founder’s great
grandson, Henry Heydenryk, Jr.
Mandel explains, “When Mr. Heydenryk brought the firm to the
United States in 1936-1937, it was an extension, a franchise,
to the Amsterdam company. Then, getting into the 1940s and
50s, he started really coming into his own as a revolutionary
maverick in the frame world. He eventually separated from the
Amsterdam branch but still kept the lineage and connection.”
The Heydenryk legacy is still very much a proud part of the
framing house even though the original Dutch spelling of the
name, Heijdenrijk, was “Americanized” in an effort to simplify
the pronunciation for English speakers.
Restoration services
The House of Heydenryk is uniquely original from other
framing businesses; between its famous original Heydenryk
frame designs exclusive to the firm and wide array of restoration services, the house has built a solid reputation for being the
best in the business. Mandel explains, “What is totally unique
about our company is that Mr. Heydenryk started a whole
new genre of framing and created all these original designs
that are exclusive to our company. He worked directly with
20th-century artists such as Salvador Dali, Georgia O’Keeffe,
Edward Hopper, John Marin, Andrew Wyeth, Milton Avery
14 June 2013
The House of Heydenryk president David Mandel (right) with artisans
Diones Castillo (center) and Milton Lomas (left) in the Chelsea frame
factory. Says Mandel: “What is totally unique about our firm is that Mr.
Heydenryk started a whole new genre of framing and created all
these original designs that are exclusive to our company.
Photo by Wanda Alicia
and Léger. He even designed frames for Picasso in his lifetime.
The first post-war exhibition of Picasso’s paintings in America
was entirely composed of original Heydenryk frames.” The list
of renowned artists that Mr. Heydenryk worked with as he built
up the New York firm is long and distinguished. A quick scroll
through the company website shows a list of major 20th century
American artists who actually visited the Heydenryk showroom
during their careers, seeking out the perfect, custom-made
frame to complement their artwork. These artists include: Marsden Hartley, Stuart Davis, Charles Sheeler, Max Weber, Jacob
Lawrence, Romare Bearden, Philip Evergood, and Raphael and
Moses Soyer.
Not only did Mr. Heydenryk work with the most prominent
American artists during his time, but his frames attracted the
attention of artists, art dealers, and galleries abroad as well.
Mr. Heydenryk framed the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Fernand
Léger, Henri Matisse, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Monet, Degas,
Cezanne, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Raphael and Titian. Mr. Heydenryk’s success in the framing world can be attributed to his
avid dedication to customizing frames in line with the particular
needs of the artist and/or painting. As he developed these new
styles, he named the frames after the artists who inspired them:
Georges Rouault, Maurice de Vlaminck, Paul Klee and Piet
Mondrian.
Work for museums
It was not only artists and art dealers who sought out the
Heydenryk name for their framing needs, but also CEOs, highprofile celebrities, photographers, auction houses and museums.
In fact, by the 1960s, the House of Heydenryk had made frames
for pieces in just about every major museum in the country
including the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, the Metropolitan
Museum of Art in New York, the Art Institute of Chicago, and
the Smithsonian Institute, to name only a few.
Today, the client list of the House of Heydenryk is just as
impressive as it was in the heyday of when the business was
running under Mr. Heydenryk himself. Mandel works with the
top interior designers including David Anthony Easton, Brian
McCarthy, Peter Marino, and Daniel Romualdez. The White
House is another big time client of the House of Heydenryk.
Mandel explains, “we just did the most recent presidential
portrait for The White House and we’ve also framed portraits
of Presidents Kennedy, Carter, Ford, Reagan, Bush and Clinton
With a team of 12 to 15 staff members and artisans from
locations around the world –including England, Ecuador, the
Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Jamaica, Barbados, and the
United States -- the House of Heydenryk is armed with top
talent to produce its renowned, original frames. Custom frames
start at $1,000 and are made on-site in a factory connected to
the showroom at the firm’s location on 601 West 26th Street,
handcrafted from quality materials that are sourced primarily
from the United States. The house also specializes in mirrored
products, “Mirror frames are a very big part of our business,”
says Mandel, “we can make simple or really elaborate mirrors.
We offer different mirrors that are antiqued, silvered and all
different kinds of treatments that are very unusual.”
The firm also provides antique and restoration frame
services, “We do frame restoration, furniture restoration if it
involves gilding and wood, and we offer services in art restoration, which includes oil paintings, works on paper and
textiles.” Mandel explains that using The House of Heydenryk for restoration is a major advantage because of the firm’s
network of sources. The shop is able to provide the customer
with multiple options when it comes to finishes and prices,
“like when you go to a doctor and you want a second opinion,
we can give a second or third opinion with restoration,” says
Mandel. Customers can be assured that the opinions are directly
in line with the authenticity of the particular piece. Mandel
himself provides customers with consultations, making sure the
frame is true to the period of the piece. He explains, “When we
get into period framing, let’s say the Renaissance or English
Rococo or Spanish Baroque, especially for museum work, I
will research the history of the frames before they come in. The
client has a choice between choosing an antique or a replica. If
we don’t have the design, we can reproduce the period frame
style from scratch using detailed illustrations and profiles.”
The House of Heydenryk has an inventory and international
network of thousands of antique frames dating from the 15th
century through the early 20th century. For special historical
projects, the former president (who was with the company for
more than 40 years before Mandel took the position) will make
an appearance to advise in framing the works of artists who he
actually worked with, such as Hopper, Dali and Wyeth.
Current trends
There are trends in frame design that go in and out of style,
and the House of Heydenryk has had a lot of influence in dictating what is popular. Mandel comments, “I definitely see a trend
Continued on next page
June 2013 15
Top, left to right: Heydenryk’s master carver replicates an arched period
Louis XIV frame; President David Mandel with 17th & 18th-century
carved wood patterns.
Middle, left to right: A finisher paints the bole (clay color) on to a 19th
century reproduction cove corner sample; An artisan’s tray displays
finishing materials and new panel designs.
Bottom, left to right: The finisher gilds a reeded frame profile designed
by the Impressionist Edgar Degas; The gilder burnishes the floral motif
on a 17th century French frame design; The gilder puts the final touches
on a frame design by American architect Stanford White.
Photos by David Mandel and Wanda Alicia
Continued from previous page
in more simple, more modern frames. I use the term Modernist
because that is an aesthetic that is very prevalent now. One of
the things we pride ourselves on is that we were one of the most
influential Modernist framers in history because we worked
with many important interior designers and artists from this period…We created streamlined, simple frame designs with very
unusual finishes that are totally unique to our company.”
In addition to creating all these new finishes, Mandel explains, Mr. Heydenryk introduced the use of wormy chestnut
wood into frame design. Mandel tells the story, “During the
1930s, the wood was destroyed by blight and had all these
worm holes,” and instead of casting it aside as damaged, Mr.
Heydenryk saw the beauty and character in the wood. “He [Mr.
Heydenryk] is generally credited with introducing, or popularizing, that whole style.”
Royal clients
With royalty such as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor and
celebrities like Marlene Dietrich, Katharine Hepburn, Ginger
Rogers, Lauren Bacall and Greta Garbo as long time clients,
The House of Heydenryk has established itself as the premiere
framing firm for high-profile individuals and institutions alike.
Between their famous original frames, antiques and restored
picture frames, the shop has a presence in nearly every major
US museum, along with national historic landmarks and the
most beautiful private homes around the world. The original
mission of the firm to complement the best artwork in the world
with beautifully authentic framing design is carried out to this
day by the carefully chosen successors of the company. Under
the leadership of Mandel, who has a strong dedication to accommodating every client, the House of Heydenryk takes the
art of framing to an entirely new level.
The House of Heydenryk is located in the heart of Chelsea
at 601 W. 26th St., Suite 305 in the Starrett Lehigh building.
Please call ahead for an appointment. For more information,
visit the website at heydenryk.com, or call 212-206-9611.
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