Only at the Frick does the elegance of the artwork seem to transcend the canvas, and become embodied by the museum itself. On Thursday, the annual Frick Collection Autumn Dinner, one of the season's social highlights, was held at the historic Upper East Side mansion, gathering guests and patrons who could have very well been painted by the likes of Whistler, Rembrandt, and van Dyck.

This year's celebration honored Henry P. Johnson, the President of Northern Trust Wealth Management, and a steadfast supporter of the arts at the Frick Collection and beyond.

Attendees were welcomed into the 1935 Garden Court, which has retained all its Gilded Age glamour, for cocktails to kick off the evening, mingling around the fountain and through the galleries to the sounds of live violinists. Creative takes on fall black tie filled the room, as longtime benefactors rubbed elbows with the next generation of young philanthropists.

The only thing as portrait-worthy as the looks? The breathtaking tablescapes. Three galleries were turned into dramatic dining rooms by Louis Miller Design, featuring long banquets and tables topped with rich, seasonal flora such as black and white anemones, geranium foliage, fern curls, begonia leaves, and lady’s mantle. With original masterpieces from the Frick's collection serving as the backdrop, the dinner scene was truly one-of-a-kind.

Click through for an inside look at the art-filled affair, and see our picks for best dressed!

[Go HERE for more photos by Stephen Smith][Cover photo by Max Lakner/BFA.com]

Amory McAndrew

The Guest List

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