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Surrealism: Selections from the Reva and David Logan Collection of Illustrated Books

September 15, 2007 – January 6, 2008
Although the term Surrealism was coined by the writer Guillaume Apollinaire in 1917, it was André Breton who formalized a movement around the term beginning in 1924. Breton asserted the centrality of automatism, submission to the subconscious, as the means to Surrealist expression. Found or random objects, textures, and imagery were central to Surrealism, as was the acceptance of dreams as worthy subject matter.
Location: 
Legion
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973), "Buste de Femme à la Chaise," frontispiece, in the book Anthologie de l'humour noir by André Breton (Paris: Editions du Sagittaire, 1940), 1940

Marie-Antoinette and the Petit Trianon at Versailles

November 17, 2007 – February 17, 2008
Marie-Antoinette, the Austrian-born queen of Louis XVI of France, was given the Petit Trianon, a small château secluded in the park at Versailles, upon her accession in 1774. An icon of French neoclassicism, it exemplifies the perfection of 18th-century French architecture through its delicate balance of form and proportion. Its interiors were furnished to the queen's order with pieces of the utmost elegance, restraint, and beauty. This exhibition gives a visual history of the Petit Trianon through 88 pieces of the finest furniture, paintings, and sculpture from this château.
Location: 
Legion

Sponsors

Marie-Antoinette and the Petit Trianon at Versailles is presented by Bank of America and organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in cooperation with the Etablissement public du musée et du domaine national de Versailles. The exhibition is also supported by the San Francisco Auxiliary of the Fine Arts Museums, Dr. Kathy Nicholson Hull and Mr. Bill Gisvold, Clare C. McEvoy Charitable Remainder Unitrust and Jay D. McEvoy Trust, George M. Bowles Trust, Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trusts, European Decorative Arts Council of the Fine Arts Museums, and Mr. and Mrs. Adolphus Andrews, Jr.
Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755–1842) Marie-Antoinette "a la rose," 1783 (detail). Oil on canvas. Etablissement Public du musée et du domaine national de Versailles. Photograph © J. M. Manaï

Kahnweiler, Editeur: Illustrated Books Published by the Legendary French Art Dealer

January 12, 2008 – May 25, 2008
The first in a series of three exhibitions that focuses on legendary publishers, Kahnweiler, Editeur showcases twelve books published between 1909 and 1928 by Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler (1884–1979). Kahnweiler was a German expatriate who opened his first gallery in Paris in 1907. Inspired by Ambroise Vollard, he made a lifelong commitment to publish books illustrated by his favorite artists, including André Derain, Georges Braque, Pablo Picasso, Juan Gris, and others. He viewed his publications as promotional tools to introduce the young artists to new collectors of the avant-garde.
Location: 
Legion
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973) Mademoiselle Léonie dans une chaise longue, pl. 3 from the book, Saint Matorel by Max Jacob [Paris, Henry Kahnweiler, 1911], 1910

Highlights from the Israel Antiquities Authority: The Dead Sea Scrolls and 5,000 Years of Treasures

February 16, 2008 – August 10, 2008
This exhibition includes rotating examples of the rare and precious Dead Sea Scroll fragments in addition to artifacts spanning over 5000 years, from the Chalcolithic Age (4,000 BC) to the Fatimid Period (11th century AD). The Dead Sea Scrolls are one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in history. Uncovered by Bedouin herders and excavated by archaeologists in caves along the northwestern shore of the Dead Sea, fragments of the scrolls were pieced together to form more than 800 documents, many of them Biblical and Apocryphal manuscripts.
Location: 
Legion

Sponsors

Highlights from the Israel Antiquities Authority: The Dead Sea Scrolls and 5,000 Years of Treasures is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and the Israel Antiquities Authority from the collections of the National Treasures. Major exhibition support is provided by Bernard and Barbro Osher, the Koret Foundation, the Taube Philanthropies, American Express, the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, and the Alexander M. & June L. Maisin Supporting Foundation of the Jewish Community Endowment Fund.
Table, Byzantine Period, late 6th-early 7th century AD, Caesarea Maritima. Gold, glass mosaic. Photo courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005

March 1, 2008 – May 28, 2008
For decades, Annie Leibovitz has artistically captured the icons of popular culture with her award-winning photography. Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990–2005 looks at 200 of these photos as well as those she has taken of her family and close friends, and thus views a full “photographer’s life.” As Leibovitz says: “I don’t have two lives. This is one life, and the personal pictures and the assignment work are all part of it.”
Location: 
Legion

Sponsors

Annie Leibovitz: A Photographer’s Life, 1990-2005 Organized by the Brooklyn Museum. Sponsored by American Express. The San Francisco presentation is made possible by RBC Dain Rauscher Wealth Management and GAP Inc. Additional support is support is provided by Jim and Dana Tananbaum, Maurice W. Gregg, Marie and George Hecksher, The John and Lisa Pritzker Family Fund, and Paul Sack and Shirley Davis.
L: Mikhail Baryshnikov and Rob Besserer, Cumberland Island, Georgia, 1990. R: Susan's Shell Collection, King Street Sunporch, New York, 1990. Photographs © Annie Leibovitz

Vollard, Editeur: Illustrated Books Published by the Legendary French Art Dealer

May 31, 2008 – September 28, 2008
Vollard, Editeur is the second in a series of exhibitions that focus on legendary publishers who were primarily art dealers. Ambroise Vollard (1865-1939) opened his first art gallery in Paris in 1893 and by 1895 was publishing individual prints and portfolios by the artists he represented. His publications include Parallèlement, featuring poetry by Paul Verlaine and delicate lithograph illustrations by Pierre Bonnard and Gustave Flaubert's La tentation de Saint Antoine, with illustrations by Odlion Redon
Location: 
Legion
Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1916), "Antoine: Quel est le be but de tout cela...? Le Diable: Il n'y a pas de but!", plate XVIII in the book La Tentation de Sainte Antoine, 1896

Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond

June 21, 2008 – September 21, 2008
At the time Impressionism was born, female artists were starting to come to the forefront of the art world. Women Impressionists breaks new ground by looking at the work and contributions of four female Impressionists, shown together for the first time in the United States. Many of the works deal with images of women—women at home, women with family, and women at leisure—in addition to other themes typical of Impressionism.
Location: 
Legion
Related Collection: 
European Painting

Sponsors

The exhibition is presented by Bank of the West Women Impressionists: Berthe Morisot, Mary Cassatt, Eva Gonzalès, Marie Bracquemond is an exhibition of the Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Major Patron Diane B. Wilsey Patrons Penny and James George Coulter Jeannik Méquet Littlefield. Sponsors Dr. Kathy Nicholson Hull and Mr. Bill Gisvold, Mary and Steven Read, Susan and James R. Swartz, and Christie's Additional support is provided by Chubb Personal Insurance, the Hurlbut-Johnson Charitable Trusts and the Ross Auxiliary of the Fine Arts Museums. This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

The State Museums of Berlin and the Legacy of James Simon

October 18, 2008 – January 18, 2009
This exhibition honors the cultural legacy of James Simon, perhaps the most important patron Berlin has ever known. Over 100 works, borrowed from nine separate museums, spanning from the 3rd millennium BC to the 18th century AD, grace the special exhibition galleries at the Legion of Honor from October 18, 2008, to January 18, 2009.
Location: 
Legion

Sponsors

Presented by the San Francisco Auxiliary of the Fine Arts Museums The exhibition is organized by the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco in partnership with the National Museums of Berlin. Major Patrons Ann and Tim Simon Sponsors Ray and Dagmar Dolby Opening Night is sponsored by Northern Trust. Additional support is provided by the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany, San Francisco, and Maurice W. Gregg, and through a bequest of Margrit Landesmann. Official Airline Lufthansa This exhibition is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.
Andrea Mantegna, The Virgin with the Sleeping Child, 1465/70. Gemäldegalerie, Berlin

Leonardo da Vinci: Drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin

November 15, 2008 – January 8, 2009
This is the first U.S. exhibition of one of the most significant collections of drawings by Leonardo da Vinci. The drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin detail the extensive range of Leonardo’s interests, including pointed observations, fantastical explorations, anatomical studies, and working drawings such as the Study for the Angel (1485) in the painting Madonna of the Rocks. Dating from about 1480 to 1510, the works traverse the arc of Leonardo’s career.
Location: 
Legion

Sponsors

Leonardo da Vinci: Drawings from the Biblioteca Reale in Turin is organized by the Birmingham Museum of Art and is supported by an indemnity from the Federal Council on the Arts and Humanities. This exhibition was made possible by the Foundation for Italian Art and Culture. The San Francisco presentation is made possible by patrons Rosemary and Ed Baker, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, the Brown Foundation and a bequest from Leonard E. Kingsley.

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