Part of my 2021 resolution is to write about a museum every month. This idea originated last May, after I learnt about the International Museum Day. I don’t have any art background whatsoever, so most of the stories/contents are based-off my memories from the museum tours.
Content:
- Background/Overview — museum history, location, layout
- Artworks — dive into few of my favorite art collections
Background/Overview
The museum was commissioned by a wealthy philanthropist, Madame Alma Spreckels, as a 3/4 replica of the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur in Paris. Unfortunately the construction was postponed due to WWI. Upon its completion, the museum commemorates Californian soldiers who died in the Great War, to “honor the dead while serving the living”.
Together with the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, Legion of Honor formed the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco (famsf), which also is one of the largest art museums in the US. Oddly speaking though, many of my friends only heard of de Young, but not Legion of Honor. Also de Young has started to include contemporary arts in its collections, while Legion of Honor remains focused on artworks before the Post-Impressionism period.
Situated on the hilltop of the Lincoln Park, the museum has a breathtaking view overlooking both San Francisco and the Marin Headlands. With its beautiful neoclassical design, the museum is a popular outdoor photography destination of San Francisco.
Similar to most other places of San Francisco, parking is limited. There is a Muni stop right by the museum entrance. According to famsf site, Muni riders can get $2 off their admission tickets with a valid Muni FastPass or transfer. The admission is $15, and is shared with de Young. Though Bank of America cardholders can enter for free every first weekend of the month. There are scheduled free docent tours throughout the day. Additionally, visitors can also rent an audio guide for $7. I highly recommend both to better learn about the background and appreciate the artworks.
In the center of the courtyard is a bronze sculpture of Auguste Rodin’s The Thinker. I was once told that it is one of the several commissioned copies during Rodin’s lifetime. I later learnt that sculptors normally create a mold that could cast multiple sculptures, explaining why I’ve seen the same Rodin work at various museums.
Behind The Thinker is a glass pyramid, a miniature of the Louvre Pyramid, added during the 90s renovation. The galleries beneath the pyramid were also part of this renovation, and is reserved for special exhibitions.
The museum has 2 levels, where most of the exhibitions are on the ground level (upper level), arranged mostly in chronological orders from galleries 2–19. According to Google Arts & Culture, “the Legion is arguably one of the most comprehensive holdings of Rodin’s works in The US”. Galleries 8, 10, and 12 are dedicated to Rodin sculptures, with collections ranging from Rodin’s early career to his heyday. Gallery 10 also has a Spreckels Organ and a weekly live performance, which used to be every Saturday at 4pm. I was told by the artist that this organ has over 4000 pipes, which are hidden behind the dome of this gallery. You can listen to the season 1 of Jonathan Dimmock’s recordings here.
The lower floor (basement) consists of a cafe, the museum store, a porcelain gallery, a theatre (for opera), and special exhibition galleries. I rarely visits the lower floor, though one of my visits was for the Early Rubens exhibition in 2019.
Artworks
As an atheist with limited knowledge about the Bible, I have a hard time understanding/appreciating the religious arts commissioned the Medieval & Renaissance period. So, I’ll be focusing on collections from the museum’s right-wing.
Russian Bride by Konstantin Makovsky
Located in Gallery 17, it is the largest painting and is placed on the center of the left-hand-side wall upon entering. This is a popular oil on canvas paint of the museum, as I often see artists and amateurs sketching this artwork.
As the title suggest, this paint describes the bride’s room, as she’s preparing for her wedding. The girl sitting in the center is the bride, who’ll be married to the Tsar — not by her choice. Thus, the overall atmosphere is rather somber, contrasting the bright colored dresses of the ladies. The bride locked eyes with her sister, whom at the bride’s feet. Both expressed heavy emotions, though no words had been said. Their mother stood behind the bride, elaborately combing the bride’s hair.
The room is packed with her female family members and friends. Her father is blocked at the door in the far right, as male were not welcomed in the bride’s room. There is one exception, however, the young boy sitting on the bench on the left.
The Young Columbus by Giulio Monteverde
Although this museum has a great collection of amazing sculptures, particularly those of Rodin’s, this marble sculpture found in Gallery 18 is my favorite. It is the young Christopher Columbus (at age 16) seating on a pier pillar, with a book in his right hand, gazed down at the waves. So he might be deep in thoughts, reflecting on his readings, and imaging him navigating in the ocean. At the back of the pier pillar, there is a coat of arm. I was once told it’s had to do with oceanography and/or navigation, which foreshadows Columbus’ bright future in ocean exploration.
I particularly love the different textures used throughout this sculpture, making it very realistic — the pier pillar is rugged, worn by weather and erosion; Columbus’ face is smooth, conveying that he is a young boy at the time; the folds of his clothes feel very natural as well.
Les Déclassés by Jean-François Raffaëlli
The museum has a great collection of impression arts, many are done by the renowned impressionism pioneers such as Edouard Manet, Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne. Yet when I recall my visits of the museum, it’s not the water lilies nor the landscapes that I remember, but this oil on canvas in the corner of Gallery 19.
The painting illustrates 2 commoners sitting in a possibly deserted pub drinking the absinthe. One of the glass is half-empty, while the other is untouched. Though the bottled water in the back is almost gone. Their hands visibly soiled, shoes already worn-out. The gentleman on the left, appears lethargic, had already emptied-out his pocket; while the one on the right, melancholy looking, indecisively holds the remaining cash in hands.
Historically artworks were commissioned by the Church for religious purposes, and by the aristocrats to show-off status/wealth. Either way, plebeians & bourgeois were never the focus of art. This was changed by the impressionists, however, as they focus on the common everyday life. Thus impressionism was under criticism by the art authority of the time — l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris.
The Bath by Jean-Léon Gérome
Due to the invention of the cameras, artists began to paint with great accuracy & started the Realism Movement. This oil on canvas painting in Gallery 16 was considered as one of the masterpieces by l’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de Paris, and was exhibted by the Salon.
This Turkish bath scene is most likely from Gérome’s imagination, as men were forbid to enter female baths at the time. Yet the lighting and various reflections of the water & ceramic tiles felt so realistic. I was particularly impressed by the different shades of the teal ceramic wall, really depicts the humidity of the room. Highly contrast to the rough brushwork of the impressionist paintings, Gérome’s brushworks were so fine that you can’t even see the strokes.
The Marriage of Tobias and Sarah by Jan Steen
This is largest painting in Gallery 15, based on a story from the Book of Tobit. A demon abducts and kills every man the beautiful young lady Sarah marries. Under the help of angel Raphael, Tobias and Sarah lived happily ever after.
As a talented storyteller, Jan painted the moment where parents from both sides are signing the wedding contract. Sarah stands next to the table on the left, looking at the parents. Angel Raphael is standing next to the window, diagonally in front of Sarah. You should be able to see his holy halo and the wings.
Jan loves to include himself in his paintings. In this scene, he dressed-up as a brewer, standing next to Sarah, getting wine from the barrel. Although the tonality is dark, different shades of orange is used throughout the painting, symbolizing festivity and happiness.