A quiet night at home with Ribot

Some Fave paintings from the De Young

Gerhard Richter

Thomas Eakins

John Singer Sargent

My new most favorite Helen Frankenthaler

The Legion of Honor Museum

Given by Alma de Brettville Spreckles, this beautiful copy of the Hotel de Salm (Paris - Legion d'Honneur) has an amazing collection of sculpture by Rodin (friend of Mme. S), and a small but choice collection of European art and decorative objects. Pretty squisite here.

The Fantin-Latour painting above is my favorite F-L - small, perfect, moving, and conveys in its simplicity the whole range of human emotion - he was quite a painter! Fell in love with this painting 20 years ago and have carried its image with me since.

The museum sits atop Lincoln Park at the far west end of San Francisco - the views across the ocean to the Golden Gate Bridge and the city are breath-taking.

These are a few of my faaaaav-o-rite thiiiinngs.....


A room from a Parisian town house

a domed wooden ceiling from a 17th C. Spanish castle

Some nice Japanese ebony on a Oeben console

painting by Degas

painting by de la Tour

self-portrait by Tissot

THREE! Fantin-Latours!

Rodin!

More Rodin!

Some Random San Francisco Pix

The new De Young Museum

I am so excited about this building! It's phenomenal, it's primal, it's extraordinary, it's an amazing showcase for art, it's beautifully crafted, it's so well-thought, it's powerful, it's moving, it's profoundly spiritual.

Designed by Herzog & De Meuron to replace a boring classical structure, it rises up out of the ground as an organic whole. Clad in perforated copper and finished with beautiful wood and stone, it absolutely takes your breath away. There's nothing else like it.

There are ribbons of windows that keep you connected to the outside and the views of Golden Gate Park, as well as to the interior courtyards and gardens. Most spectacular of all is the tower which torques up out of the museum and contains an observations floor with 360' views of San Francisco.

No picture can do justice to the total of this achievement - I can only show you bits of it - all fantastic.

I had the same emotional response to this building as at the Villa la Roche - very moving.

The new De Young Museum

St. Mark's, Berkley

The first Mission-Revival building in California, 1904, this lovely church is across the street the UC Berkley campus and is a lively place. Charming architecture, a v. nice Flentrop organ, great acoustics, some beautiful details and stained glass, and a v. welcoming Music Director and Rector

The high ceiling is supported by elegant beams, the facade pipes of the organ are flamed copper, the Sanctuary with its exquisite altar is placed behind an intricately carved screen, and the choir sings from a very advantageous acoustical location. And, ecco, the two Maestri: George Emblom (St. Mark's Music Director & Organist) and Richard Clemmitt!

St. Mark's, Berkley

Grace Cathedral

The Cathedral sits atop Nob Hill - a very high hill, v. steep from the hotel, scary coming back down at nite! There are several exquisite things to see: the Keith Haring triptique in memory of all who've died from AIDS, the copies of the Baptistry doors from the Duomo in Florence, the long nave with its unfinished vaulting (earthquakes, you know), and of course, the exquisite E. M. Skinner organ.

Grace Cathedral