"Paintings have a life of their own that derives from the painter's soul." Vincent Van Gogh

Monday, August 26, 2013

Legion of Honor Art Museum In San Francisco, CA

Oh, what an extraordinary visit to an extraordinary place!  I will try to tell you the story of my trip in photographs and words. I had not been to San Francisco for many years, not since my children were small and we ferried over to Alcatraz and spent time at Fisherman's Wharf. This trip was different and San Francisco struck me as such a vibrant, whirlwind of a city. We were fortunate enough to stay on the 29th floor of the Grand Hyatt with a sparkling view out toward SF Bay where the Louis Vuitton Sailboat Races were in high gear. This view was even more incredible at night!


Saturday morning began overcast with a dense marine layer but soon cleared and we had a perfect day. The Legion of Honor is a re-creation of a French Palace and was given to San Francisco in 1924 to honor soldiers of WWI. It is a spectacular building in  pale gray marble set high on a hillside overlooking the Bay and surrounded by groves of old and elegantly sculptural cedar trees.

What a surprise to walk through the center archway into the starkly beautiful Court of Honor and find it dominated by Rodin's The Thinker!



The special exhibition, Impressionists on the Water, was perfectly done and displayed in one awe inspiring room after another. Although photography is allowed in the permanent collections, it was prohibited in this special collection so I can only tell you that it was a true joy to see. For almost 2 solid hours I was surrounded by Monet, Pissaro, Signet, Sisley, Vuillard, Bonnard, Pissaro, Renoir and others. I had a chance to see how they covered their canvases, to analyze their brushwork, thickness of paint and intensity of color. I was mesmerized. After viewing the collection, my overall feeling was that the picture most well done, the one that shimmered with dappled sunlight and glistening water, that whispered with the rustle of women,s skirts and shivered with leaves dancing in the gentle breeze was Monet's Harbor at Argenteuil - this is a photo from the internet of the painting and, as always, does not come close to portraying the incredible skill and beauty of this piece.
But, surprisingly, this was not my favorite. I found myself going back numerous times to view a small oil painting on cardboard by Toulouse Lautrec. It was painted as if Lautrec was sitting in the front part of a boat as it cut through the turquoise waters of the lake with the prow jutting forward and the sky racing with clouds overhead. It was so emotional, so fascinating in its utter focus and intensity. I adored it. Unfortunately, I cannot find a photo of this painting on the internet, nor did they have anything in the gift shop with this painting reproduced - but it is etched in my memory forever!

After lunch in the very charming museum cafe, I meandered through the permanent collections and photographed a few pieces.

Having grown up in Philadelphia, I spent a lot of time at the Rodin Museum there, and was delighted to see that the Legion of Honor has an extensive Rodin collection beyond The Thinker in the courtyard, all magnificently displayed in two private rotundas.



Auguste Rodin / The Three Shades / 1880

And then there are the paintings:

Jacopo Pontorino, Italy / Madonna and Child with Two Angels / 1445-1557
 I was surprised at how modern this piece appeared with the tender positioning of the figures, the delicately painted faces and the brilliant colors.


Modigliani - his approach and canvas surface texture is so unique!


Joos van Cleve, Dutch / Lucretia / 1525 - her face is utterly remarkable. I could have spent an hour looking only at that.

Peter Paul Reubens / 1612 / The Tribute Money 

Rembrandt! / Joris de Caulerii / 1632. The depth of insight into this gentleman displayed by Rembrandt's brush is nothing short of miraculous.

Frns Hal, Dutch / Portrait of a Gentleman in White / 1635. A stunning portrait that dominates the gallery it is in. It made me gasp when I saw it.

Gustav Courbet / The Wave / 1869 - his brushwork deeply influenced Monet

Jules B LePage / Sarah Bernhardt / 1879. I am not familiar with this artist but this portrait is so breathtaking and so exquisitely done. She is a presence to be reckoned  with.

Louis Maurice Boutet de Monvei / Portrait of a Man / 1875. Another unfamiliar artist that did an awe inspiring portrait.

A gallery with a large Monet Waterlilies
Oh, I could go on and on as I took hundreds of photos and have been pouring over them. But I hope this gives you an idea of the wealth of paintings in this gem of a museum and perhaps inspires you to make your own visit one day. In November the special exhibit will be Anders Zorn. Imagine that!

17 comments:

  1. Excuse me Susan!
    Wow!
    Thank you for a great trip! One of the best posts ever!
    ( I did miss seeing your work but I guess the other paintings you posed will do!)
    Rodin certainly rocks the house! Special place in my heart has to be Coubet's "The Wave!" (Reminds me of our buddy Turner!)
    Again, thank you Susan!
    Your museum loving art buddy,
    Michael

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    1. I had a feeling you would love that Courbet - it reminds me of you!

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  2. This was a stimulating post and I loved it. Glad you showed such amazing paintings. Hope you manage to paint the image of your favorite Lautrec while it is still fresh in your mind.
    thanks for putting this together.
    I went out there last year for an exhibit of roman glass which rocked my world. Love the building and the city. The de Young museum is another fabulous place. Great contemporary art there.

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    1. I must get to the de Young my next trip out!

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  3. Thank you for that post, great art indeed. Zorn is one of my favorites, too.

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    1. Me too, Maike. I flipped through a book of his paintings earlier today and am in awe of his brushwork. It"s so self assured, so bold.

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  4. I haven't been to SFC since the 1970s!

    Wow...what a post, Susan, it was remarkable, you took us with you!
    Thank you so much for sharing. I shall read it again now...and again ...and again!

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    1. I seem compelled to put together this kind of blog post after a fantastic experience like this museum trip and the Coeur d'Alene Auction. I am glad you found it worth the read!

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  5. Oh my! what an awesome post! I so enjoyed your photo's! I love going to Art museums. They are so inspiring aren't they? Thanks so much for sharing :0)

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    1. I could spend a solid portion of my life in art museums given the opportunity! It was wonderful to find one of this quality fairly close by. So glad you enjoyed reading about my trip, Sandra!

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  6. Hi Susan.
    Thank you for all these photos and your Text on them. Monet`s Harbour, wow!. I also loved Modigliani`s Portrrait of that dapper gentleman. What a wonderful part of your birthday treat, fantastic. All the best Susan.
    Vic.

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    1. My week long birthday celebration was so special this year. I will remember it forever!

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  7. Hi Susan,
    Thank you for the tour of the exhibit! What a display!!! Frans Hals is one of my favorite portrait artists. And I do love the painting of Sarah Bernhardt, sublime with all the "whites".

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the post! The Sarah painting knocked my socks off! Yes, all those glorious whites!

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  8. What a wonderful tour! The Rodin's are fabulous--and the paintings, of course. I'll bet you were itching to get your hands into the paint by the end of the day. These trips are so inspirational.

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    1. This trip was pure, solid, tangible inspiration to me. The Rodin sculptures were magnificent - even more so than I remembered. I longed to run my hands over their surfaces. They are like 3 D impressionist paintings to me! And to see the paintings up close and personal - it was food for my soul!

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  9. I am so glad you had this remarkable experience. You stimulate me to go to art museum, thank you very much. It is also very interesting to read how artist feels the art works.

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Your comments are welcome and brighten my day!