Legion of Honor Museum, San Francisco, CA Videos

Recognize any of the stones on this table top? 💎 The Londonderry table was made with over 45 different specimens of stones. Included are multiple types of jaspers, agates, and granites, with lavish names such as lapis lazuli, porphyry, and amethyst. It's attributed to Italian mosaicist Giacomo Raffaelli, who was the leading maker of mosaics at the time. When this masterpiece was created around 1805, the idea of carefully arrayed geometric patterns against white marble was a brand new approach. Though the table top was created in Italy, the stones came from all over Afro-Eurasia, including Germany, Poland, Russia, Egypt, and Afghanistan. See this new addition to the Legion of Honor's collection in Gallery 13 ✨Think you can name any of the other stones? Drop your guesses in the comments below ⌄⌄⌄ [Hardstone tabletop (The Londonderry table), attributed to Giacomo Raffaelli, ca. 1805, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Roscoe and Margaret Oakes Endowment Income Fund, gift of Margaret and William R. Hearst III; Diane B. Wilsey; Roger Thomas and Arthur Libera; Mary Beth and David Shimmon] #ItalianArt #Mosaic #ArtHistory

When the urge to see your favorite painting is so great that you start walking in 3x speed ⏩ Come by the Legion of Honor to see your favorite artwork 🖼️ What's your can't-miss piece when you visit? 🎥 courtesy of @ fl_fineart on Instagram [William-Adolphe Bouguereau, "The Broken Pitcher," 1891, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Bequest of M.H. de Young] #LegionOfHonor #ArtMuseum #Portraiture

A throne fit for a queen 👑 Marie Antoinette's canapé, or sofa, has just been reupholstered — for the third time since coming to the Legion of Honor in 1957. This time, the goal was to make it look as similar as possible to what it might have looked like in the 1780s, when she first commissioned it. Martin Chapman, former curator in charge of European decorative arts and sculpture, has been working on this conservation project for about 20 years, since shortly after he joined the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. Now, just before his retirement, it's finally complete ✨ #Conservation #MarieAntoinette #EuropeanArt

Did someone say zoomies? Our conservation team used a super powerful Hirox digital microscope to see the marks on this Japanese woodblock made for a print by Toyohara Kunichika. Studying a woodblock's markings allows us to better understand the artistic process behind woodcuts. Watch a live printing demonstration by Master Printmaker Keiji Shinohara on May 11, and visit the link below for more info on making a woodcut print. Plus, see Kunichika's block and artist materials at "Japanese Prints in Transition," on view until August 18 🗓️ https://www.famsf.org/stories/how-to-conservators-woodcut-print [Key block under a Hirox digital microscope at 20x magnification] #JapanesePrints #WoodblockPrint #Printmaking

How much wood would a wood-carver carve if a wood-carver could carve wood? 🪵 Our resident wood-carver (aka paper conservation graduate intern) Josephine Jenks can carve lots of wood, and she demonstrated this by recreating a Meiji-era woodblock for a print by Toyohara Kunichika. Japanese block carvers in the Edo and Meiji periods started with cherrywood, and used a variety of chisels and gouges to carve out designs. To make a print, the block would be brushed with ink and paper would be laid on top. The printer would then rub the back of the sheet with a tool called a baren to create the impression. Head to the link in bio for more info on making a woodcut print 🔗 Still want more? Join us on May 11 for a live woodblock printing demonstration by Master Printmaker Keiji Shinohara! And don't forget to see Kunichika's block and artist materials at "Japanese Prints in Transition," open until August 18. https://www.famsf.org/stories/how-to-conservators-woodcut-print #JapanesePrints #WoodblockPrint #Printmaking

In three words, what does Auguste Rodin's "The Three Shades" bring to mind? Our poet-in-residence Ben Bernthal of Strangers Poems Project can write a poem out of just three words, and now he wants you to take part and create poems with him! In the comments, share the three words that come to mind when you see this sculpture (for a chance to win free museum tickets), and Ben may use yours as inspiration for a poem ✨ Here's a little background on the statue to help you get started: The three figures are shades, or souls of the damned, bowing under the weight of immense pressure and hopelessness. It was meant to be placed at the top of an unrealized monumental doorway for a museum in Paris. Rodin called it the "Gates of Hell," inspired by Dante's famous vision of the underworld in his "Inferno." With all that in mind, we'd love to hear what you're thinking in the comments. No pressure 🫣 [Auguste Rodin, "The Three Shades," 1898, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Collection of the City and County of San Francisco, Gift of the Raphael Weill Memorial Committee] #Rodin #ArtPoetry #DantesInferno

We're no strangers to Strangers Poems Project 🥸 Ben Bernthal wrote this poem to Gioia, based on her three words "containment," "refuse," "scavenge." containment breaks. the artist scavenges among the rats of broken boroughs. refuse as a refuge one can build from cast-off cabinets, milk crates, the busted banisters of the forsaken brownstones past atonement. the worlds we make, the worlds we occupy. Want to read more of Ben's poetry? Head to the link below 🔗 https://www.famsf.org/stories/strangers-poems-louise-nevelson [Louise Nevelson, "Sky Cathedral's Presence I," 1959-1962, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Foundation purchase,Phyllis C. Watts Fund for Major Accessions © Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York] #StrangersPoems #Poetry #NationalPoetryMonth

Strangers Poems Project round 2 😎 Ben Bernthal wrote this poem for Isaac, who came up with the words "crutch," "pedestal," and "lost" to describe Louise Nevelson's "Sky Cathedral's Presence I." Interested in what others saw when they looked at Nevelson's art? Read more of Bernthal's poems at the link below. https://www.famsf.org/stories/strangers-poems-louise-nevelson [Louise Nevelson, "Sky Cathedral's Presence I," 1959-1962, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Foundation purchase, Phyllis C. Watts Fund for Major Accessions © Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York] #StrangersPoems #Poetry #NationalPoetryMonth

"It's very difficult becoming an artist because you have to go against so many odds. It's a unique expression of life." —Faith Ringgold (1930-2024) We're remembering Faith Ringgold, an American painter, mixed-media artist, and activist. She dedicated her life and practice to amplifying the struggle for justice and equity of Black people in the United States, particularly Black women. In her 93 years, Ringgold produced a body of work that bears witness to the complexity of the American experience. Join us in celebrating her life as we look back at her 2022 de Young exhibition.

Ben Bernthal (Strangers Poems Project) can make a poem appear from just three words 🪄 Visitors had the chance to share words inspired by Louise Nevelson's "Sky Cathedral's Presence I" with Ben so he could work his magic. Kalina chose the words "altered," "reinvigorate," and "uniform," and here's what Ben wrote in response. Read more of Ben's three-word poems at the link below. What words come to your mind when you see Nevelson's artwork? https://www.famsf.org/sto.../strangers-poems-louise-nevelson [Louise Nevelson, "Sky Cathedral's Presence I," 1959-1962, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Phyllis C. Watts Fund for Major Accessions © Estate of Louise Nevelson / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York]

No, you're not seeing double — the green goblet in our collection is almost identical to the two in this painting! This specific type of glass, called a "roemer," was popular in the Netherlands in the 17th century. It was typically used for wine or beer, which is why it often appears in Dutch still lifes featuring meals. And the bumps on the stem of the goblet? Well, those are there to keep the glass from slipping from your hand when your fingers are greasy from the food! Now we understand why it's no coincidence to have look-alike goblets in our collection...but what are the chances every roemer is green? The answer: very likely, if they come from the Netherlands. Sand (needed to make glass) in northern Europe had high concentrations of iron, which — get this — tints glass green! [Römer (goblet), 17th century, Gift of the de Young Museum Society] [Abraham van Beyeren, "Still Life," 1666, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Gift of the de Young Museum Society]

Katy Hessel spoke with our very own Emily Beeny, Chief Curator of the Legion of Honor and Barbara A. Wolf Curator-in-Charge of European Painting, for this deep dive into the story of Psyche and Cupid 👼 This version of the tragedy-turned-comedy was painted by Marie-Guillemine Benoist. She was only 23 years old when she made and exhibited this painting in the biannual Salon in Paris in 1791 — the first year it was open to people who weren’t members of the Royal Academy. This opened the door for more women to submit and exhibit their work. Women's History Month may have ended, but we still have more stories to share. Click the link below to hear them all in our "FAMSF without Men" playlist ✨ https://www.famsf.org/stories/women-artists-playlist

If you gaze long enough into the orange abyss, the orange abyss will gaze back into you 👁️ Click the link below for more from Katy Hessel on the great women artists in our "FAMSF without Men" playlist. https://www.famsf.org/stories/women-artists-playlist [Helen Frankenthaler, "Crusades," 1976, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Bequest of Susan Euphrat ©️ Helen Frankenthaler Foundation, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York]

Serving up your weekly dose of Katy Hessel 🥣 This week, Hessel takes us into the work of Bisa Butler. To Hessel, Butler’s works are just as much a portrait as they are a study in fiber, a medium that the artist has said everyone shares and understands. Think about what you’re wearing right now; how does that piece of clothing sit and feel on your body? Butler's three-meter-high piece contains multiple layers: it starts with a photograph of a person, which she then reimagines through vivid textiles, beads, and more. Then, she invites us to add our own interpretation. What do you see when you look at her work? 🎧 Hear more in our "FAMSF without Men" playlist at the link below. https://www.famsf.org/stories/women-artists-playlist [Bisa Butler, "All Power To The People (after 'Man with Afro, San Francisco, California,' by Leon A. Borensztein)," 2023. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco purchase, Textile Art Trust Fund and donations from Bettina S. Bryant, Joyce Dostale, and other textile arts supporters]

Katy Hessel, author of "The Story of Art Without Men," is back at it again, this time with a deep dive on Leonor Fini, the great Surrealist. Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 and fled to Italy with her mother to escape her domineering Catholic father. In her childhood, she had her eye bandaged for months after suffering from an infection, which, according to her, gave her time to look deep inside her imagination. Inspired by books and Renaissance art, Fini taught herself to paint. She landed in Paris in the 1920s, where she began mixing with the Surrealists. Learn more about Fini and other incredible artists in our "FAMSF without Men" playlist at the link below ✨ https://www.famsf.org/stories/women-artists-playlist [Leonor Fini, Costume designs for the ballet "Le Rêve de Léonor," 1949. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Museum purchase, Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts Fund and Prints and Drawings Fund, 2023.45a ©️ 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris]

Sketching in the galleries, but add a little bit of ✨spice✨ Sabrina's sketches are above and beyond, with stunning pops of color in the background. What a perfect way to spend a day at the museum!

Ruth Asawa's sculptures seem to change form depending on your perspective. What do you see? 🔮 Hear Katy Hessel, author of "The Story of Art Without Men," talk about Asawa and other great women and gender nonconforming artists in our collections all this month. (...or if you just can't wait, click the link below) https://www.famsf.org/stories/women-artists-playlist

Good news: "Drawing the Line" will now be on view until April 7! This exhibition includes a wide range of line work, from minimal drawings by Michelangelo and Andy Warhol to fluid figure studies by Pablo Picasso and Ruth Asawa. Also, for the first time in more than a decade, Paul Gauguin’s large-scale portrait "L’Arlésienne" (1888) is on display 🌟

The devil's in the details... Look closely at the bottom of Sandro Botticelli's "The Nativity of Christ (Mystic Nativity)" and you'll see a number of little horned devils and winged demons hiding away. How many demons can you spot? 🫣 Get a closer look at "Botticelli Drawings," closing this Sunday, February 11. [Sandro Botticelli, "The Nativity of Christ (Mystic Nativity)," 1501, © The National Gallery, London] #Botticelli #RenaissanceArt #Nativity

Did you know that "Botticelli Drawings" is the first exhibition ever dedicated to the drawings of Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli? 🤯 Botticelli's paintings are synonymous with Renaissance art, but his drawings have not had their time in the limelight. Through the drawings, however, we can get a behind-the-scenes look into how he made his paintings. For example, curator Furio Rinaldi pointed out that if you look closely at Botticelli's drawing "Study for a Seated Saint Joseph, Resting on His Right Hand," you can see faint grid lines. These visual markers were used to enlarge the design from the smaller sketch to the bigger painting. Don't miss your chance to see this drawing for yourself. "Botticelli Drawings" closes this Sunday, February 11! #Botticelli #RenaissanceArt #BotticelliDrawings [Sandro Botticelli, "Study for a Seated Saint Joseph, Resting on His Right Hand," ca. 1490–1495, Courtesy of Sotheby’s]