It’s no surprise that Frank Stella has an eye for beauty. But the legendary painter recently displayed it in an unlikely place—the elevator at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. As Stella was riding up to see a special evening preview of the exhibition “Color Chart,” in which his own work figures prominently, none other than Peter Brant stuck his hand out to say a hearty hello. The megacollector and publisher was with his wife, supermodel Stephanie Seymour, right (in 2006), but she wasn’t the beauty Stella noticed. The couple’s young son, resplendent in a black velvet sport coat and a recent haircut, prompted Stella to say, “That’s a very handsome boy you’ve got there!” The only possible parental reply came in unison: “Thanks, Frank.”

"A Frank Assessment" originally appeared in the May 2008 issue of Art+Auction. For a complete list of articles from this issue available on ARTINFO, see Art+Auction's May 2008 Table of Contents.