Fauves and Fillies

The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde reunites the unparalleled modern art collections of author Gertrude Stein, her brothers Leo and Michael Stein, and Michael’s wife, Sarah Stein.

Jointly organized by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Réunion des Musées Nationaux-Grand Palais, Paris, this major touring exhibition gathers approximately 200 iconic paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and illustrated books not only by Matisse and Picasso, who are each represented by dozens of works, but also by Pierre Bonnard, Paul Cézanne, Juan Gris, Marie Laurencin, Henri Manguin, Francis Picabia, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and Félix Vallotton, among others.

The Steins Collect premiered on May 21 at SFMOMA and will run through September 6 before traveling to Paris and then New York. 

The Steins are responsible in many ways for the turn-of-the century revolution in the visual arts through their adventurous patronage, deep ties to leading minds of the era, and legendary Paris salon gatherings. As powerful tastemakers, they had a commitment to the new, a confidence in their inclinations, and a drive to build appreciation for the work they loved. From the moment they first dared to admire Matisse’s scandalous Woman with a Hat (1905)—the nasty smear of paint that gave the fauves their name—the foursome were staking claims for modern art that would heavily influence their peers and transform the careers of several of the most important artists of the century. 

Supplemented by a rich array of archival materials—including photographs, family albums, film clips, correspondence and ephemera—the exhibition provides a new perspective on the artistic foresight of this innovative family, tracing their enduring impact on art-making and collecting practices and their inestimable role in creating a new international standard of taste for modern art.

Sarah and Michael Stein’s return to San Francisco with a cache of important Matisse works in 1935, the same year SFMOMA was founded, was particularly instrumental in the advocacy of modern art on the West Coast as well as the making of the museum’s early collection; SFMOMA’s presentation will underscore the Steins’ deep connections to the Bay Area.

The Bay Area’s sporting culture got a boost in May too, with the news that one of Golden Gate Field’s legendary trainers had been elected into the National Museum of Racing’s Hall of Fame. Champion fillies Open Mind, Safely Kept and Sky Beauty also were elected in the contemporary category by a 183-member voting panel.

This columnist was on hand when Northern California trainer Jerry Hollendorfer participated in a national teleconference. Following are some of his comments.

On being elected: You can never expect in life to be put in the Hall of Fame, so I’m quite humbled and very grateful. I going to try to continue to do the things I’ve been doing all these years, and try to live up to being put in the Hall of Fame with all the other great people.

On his success: I just try to do whatever I can do every day to take care of my business and try to make a better stable. I have to get on a plane a lot more than I used to. Sometimes you have to make sacrifices to do certain things, like being away from home, and I’m willing to make those sacrifices. I’m just grateful and happy to have the opportunity to do these things.

Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, who also participated in the teleconference as the conditioner of inductee Sky Beauty, was asked about Hollendorfer getting into the Hall of Fame: He should be happy and be proud. I’d never met him until last summer [at Saratoga]. I watched him and the way he took care of his horse, champion filly Blind Luck. I never had the vitality that he has, to ship all over the place and work so hard. He certainly has the work ethic. He’s certainly deserving. I’m very happy for him to get in.