Legion of Honor, San Francisco

            Last Sunday, I had the opportunity to visit the Legion of Honor while the visiting exhibition Houghton Hall: A portrait of an English Country House was occupying the temporary exhibit.

            The Houghton Hall: A portrait of an English Country House had many beautiful paintings, books, sculpture, and costumes. The collection included a piece by Artemisia Gentileschi, Frans Hals and John Singer Sargent. It was a beautiful collection that, as it was the temporary exhibit, I was not able to photograph.

           

In the permanent collect there are various pieces from Monet to Rodin and from Matisse to Vanloo. In the collection there is a wonderful piece by Vigeé Le Brun of Hyacinthe Gabrielle Roland. It was painted in 1791, an oil on canvas, and shows the rococo style of Vigeé Le Brun with its free flowing brushstrokes and soft rosy pink colors. Compared to the formality of Vigeé Le Brun’s portrait of Marie Antoinette and her children this piece of the actress is very intimate. Mlle Roland’s flowing long hair is more in the classical style, and she looks as if she were moving and that the wind is blowing her hair and dress. Her husband commissioned this portrait when Vigeé Le Brun was traveling in Italy, while Mlle Roland is not well received by many courts in Europe, having been an actress, she is painted with the grace Vigeé Le Brun gives her many sitters. This portrait show Mlle Roland smiling directly at the viewer twisting her body to look out as her long curls drape her figure. In person you can see the signature of the artist on the left, as she signs her name L. E. Vigeé le Brun. Thanks to being the official portrait painter of Marie Antoinette, Vigeé Le Brun was able to travel through Europe painting the aristocracy.

           

Rembrandt also makes an appearance at the Legion of Honor, in his portrait of Joris de Caulerii that he painted in 1632. This portrait could very easily be mistaken for a portrait of a younger Rembrandt than we see typically in his painting. Everything from his facial expression to his stance, to what he wearing, you can spot this Rembrandt from across the room; it is unmistakably the Dutch Master. The powerful stance of the gentlemen portrayed shows a strong character and the clothing he wears represents his social position. The warm yellows and browns that Rembrandt typically relies upon are also present. This is a superb piece to see in person.

            Konstantin Makovsky’s The Russian Bride’s Attire, painted in 1889, is an oil on canvas and is a wonderful example of realism in Russia before impressionism became popular. His tight brushwork is nearly invisible to the naked eye, and shows the grander and elegance of 19^th century Russia. Like other realistic painters Makovshy used a photographic perspective, filled with a wealth of detail. The extravagance of the attire in the painting shows the status of the subjects at the Russian court. In the foreground we see the bride-to-be in the center in white, while her attendant sits on the floor directly in front of her. Her attendant or confidant appears to be either consoling her about her impending marriage or merely chatting about what is to come. Surrounding the bride, we see a very important looking woman –probably her mother- doing the bride’s hair. And in the background and sides of the painting we see other ladies-in-waiting who are watching the bride prepare for the big day. On the right in the background we see a man – either her father or someone from the groom’s family- attempting to look in on the preparing ladies, but he is turned away by the woman extending her hands in front of him. On the right, we see a dowry chest, filled with what looks like jewels and robes, this shows that this is most probably a royal or aristocratic marriage, most probably arranged by the bride’s parents. This painting is a wonderful example of realism on an academic scale, with the painting reaching 9.16 feet by 12.25 feet.

            Carle Vanloo (or Charles-André Vanloo) was a French subject painter, who’s style varied between the rococo and the baroque. During 1753 he painted a series of four paintings of children as allegories of various subjects: Music, Sculpture, Painting, and Architecture. His painting Music, depicts three small children with correct proportions, in the costumes of adults in the process of playing music. A young girl sits at the small piano, just her size, and plays a piece of music, while two young boys sit around her admiring matching the tune on their own instruments. This would have been seen as a scène typically left for adults who either studied the subject or were considered gods or muses. Vanloo changing the age of his subjects gives the painting a more innocent turn, as children often mimic adults, which brings a scene of innocence. It also denotes artisan qualities as being blessed by the gods. These children are seen as virtuosos performing in their craft at such a young age, something that would have been unheard of at the time. The painting compared to other baroque artists has lighter coloring more similar to the rococo style, but the brushwork, the way2 the models are portrayed, and the subject matter is more reminiscent of baroque artists.

            The Legion of Honor in San Francisco is a beautiful museum with plenty of space, which allows each painting and sculpture to be exhibited properly. The museum is filled with works by old masters, and popular paintings ranging from ancient times to contemporary impressionists. All of the paintings are well-stored, well light, and rotated when they are being cleaned. The museum also works to acquire new art, offering regular visitors the opportunity to view new pieces. The Legion of Honor is a wonderful museum to visit for those who have an affinity for European art.