San Francisco’s most beautiful museum – The Legion of Honor, is my best-loved place in the city. Located in Lincoln Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean on one side and the City on the other, it has the world’s most awe-inspiriting collection of 4,000 years European art.
My love for the Legion goes beyond its fine arts; I love its neoclassical architecture, its magnificent beauty, and its breath-taking and unforgettable view of Golden Gate Bridge. Most of all, I love it because it holds a precious moment in my life that is a secret only belonging to me!
This Saturday, we returned to the Legion of Honor for Monet in Normandy exhibition. The exhibit includes fifty-three splendid impressionist paintings by Claude Monet at the turn of the century.
As a lover of all forms of art, it was a delight to have an overview of Monet’s paintings throughout his career. Monet drew artistic inspiration from the countryside of Normandy, its villages and towns, and the seasonal rhythms of the region. His unique techniques to capture the effects of weather, light and color made his painting illusively beautiful and picturesque.
Among all the paintings, my favorites are still the ones he painted at Giverny, a town outside Paris where he spent the last decade of his life. The beauteous water-lilies and Japanese bridge in Monet’s garden became enduring sources of inspiration for his creativity. The richness of the colors in those paintings contrasted the blurring images of his early works, and indicated the peak of his artistic expression.
The incident brought back a sweet memory: on my honeymoon, we took a day trip from Paris to visit Monet’s house and his gorgeous garden at Giverny. It was a romantic addition to the beginning of our life together. Standing on the famous Japanese bridge and gazing at the water-lilies in the pond were indeed reminiscent and enlightening….
It was a beautiful art exhibition of Monet at the beautiful Legion of Honor. As we were leaving, the late afternoon sun painted a golden color onto the museum, presenting a sublime view of the Legion of Honor.
Photo source: http://www.monetinnormandy.org
lifestyle, art, museum, travel, good taste
Wow!.. sounds like quite a place to go.. The Japanese bridge with water lillies below. Quite romantic. Picture Perfect for an Honeymoon.. Nice Post.
With Best Regards,
Srijith.
Thanks, Srijith!
museums always bring out my reflective self! that surely looks line one place worth a visit!
🙂
Velu,
You have a great design of your website. Beautiful! How did you do that?
Oh thx so much, Helen!
🙂
hunted around and found a template design, and meddled around with it a bit..and presto! there it is!
I hv blogrolled u, btw!
🙂
Thanks, Velu! It took me a while to understand what you mean by “blogrolled u”. I like your blogging vocabularies such as “darlinks”, “scriblepads”. So cute and cool! Perhaps I should use those words too 🙂
Nancy,
Yes, I was fscinated too. I always liked his painting, but some of the paintings I have never seen before. Thank you!
This all sounds so lovely! I saw a Monet exhibit in Boston a few years back, at the Museum of Fine Arts, and I was fascinated. I kept looking at the pictures, thinking “He actually painted this! His hand held the brush!”
Great article, Helen. Like Nancy, I saw the Monet exhibit at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts. Saw a Monet exhibit, twice, actually. Once in 1990, and again, about 10 years ago. Monet is my favorite Impressionist, the Impressionist school is my favorite school of artists.
Can’t wait to see it. Good article Helen!
Thanks, Kathryn! This is my first time I saw the Monet exhibit. I did see his paintings at Giverny when I was in France.
jessie, thank you for stopping by!
helen – great article! i love monet!!
Sometimes I think my life is like a Monet. 🙂
What a great way to spend some time. I wish I was closer to SF
I too love Monet’s paintings. Although I haven’t been luck enough to go see a full exhibition of his paintings, but I got some glimpses in museums in Stuttgart, Praha, Roma, Buenos Aires and Paris. Thanks for the article!
very good article
By the way I got all my Monet copies fro the Web Museum in Paris. It’s a web site and the pictures are in the public domain and one can use them.
One can get them at The Web Museum .
Monet I find the most peaceful of all. I have a show collection on my computer I use on a daily baisis in the Yahoo Picture frame widget that’s always on my screen, the most pictutes I have in that are Gogh 37, Cezanne 36 and then Monet 17 as the most of the groups I have. I may have more Monet but not with his name on them. Gogh and Cezanne just did more, but I use the monet pictures more. They’re just nice to look at.
This is a great article! The Legion sounds like a great museum to visit and I love the way you described it.
Thank you everyone!
Carol, thank you for stopping by. Your article of “My Beloved” is lovely and enjoyed it very much!
Rossie, come to San Francisco if you have a chance. The Museum and exhibit are marvelous!
Heather, how lucky you life is like a Monet! Hope you can visit sometime.
Daina, thank you again for your comment. Your feedback is an excellent reinforcement for me continue to write!
Richard, thank you for sharing the Monet screen shots. The Legion of Honor also has some downloads but only a few of them.
The view from the front of the Legion of Honor is as beautiful as the museum itself or the paintings it houses.
Thanks for taking us!
Show me da Monet!!!
Great article! San Francisco is one of my favorite cities. I will have to add this museum to our itinerary next trip. Thank you so much for sharing it with us. (And I’m entirely envious of your having visited Monet’s home!)
Monet’s works re something I can look and find a little beauty and peace. Great article, I have to get to SF.
Been in the Bay area for long but never visisted there
Will do that one of these days
beautiful.. excellent description.. thanks for sharing with us all.
hey helen
just came around to see if there something new around here! hope u r doing well. have a gr8 weekend!
🙂
Thx for the links, quite inspiring Helen!!
Carl, Jennifer, Ludo, Thank you for stopping by. I am glad you enjoy the article.
Gisela, Please do visit the Legion of Honor when you come to San Francisco next time. Thank you for your comment!
Steve, when are you coming to the Bay Area? Shenzhen is an exciting place and it’s been a long time since I was there last time. Hope to return someday soon.
Thanks for taking me to The legion of Honor. What at treat!
Raghav, it’s my pleasure to share the beautiful things in life with everyone! Please come back often!
Velu, thank you for stopping by. I will try to keep up! There are so many things to write about and so little time! Any news in your movie site?
DA, welcome back! Good to see your face again. Hope to see you more often.
Wilhelmine,
It’s my pleasure. I am glad you enjoyed it.
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urgently needed – a new post!
despite ur hectic time schedules!!
🙂
Thanks, Helen. I have been looking for this place along the west coast for a long time. Monet is one of my favorite artists.
I read all your beautiful articles.
Judi
Judi,
Thank you very much for reading all my articles, I really appreciate it! I am glad that you find the information useful. I am really encouraged by the friends like you!