Peachy at The Met: The Steins Collect: Matisse, Picasso, and the Parisian Avant-Garde February 28 – June 3, 2012 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Steins Collect has got to be one of the most popular exhibits going on right now at the Met, and it is one you should see. Their massive collection and interesting background literally paints an interesting picture and the many rooms dictate that this is probably one of the bigger temporary exhibits also. As soon as you enter, you are in their virtual Paris home, which takes place just before Downton Abbey starts. Readers you are going to hear many references to this show because Peachy watches it over and over because she loves it and Season 3 isn't here yet. You can imagine Downton Abbey going on in England as you walk through the rooms that go through the WWI era. You'll see Cezanne's dish of apples and Renoir and Toulouse-Lautrec. What we found fascinating was the map of Paris...take a look.
The second room represented purchases in Paris and Manet's Ball Scene caught our eye. The third room was the best of the first three and we really liked the color and texture employed here-don't miss the plate and vase. We like pointillism as you know and there was Matisse's sideboard and table. The rosy hued color will warm you. Painted in Corsica, this was our favorite in this room. The fourth room shows their friendship with artists and the fifth depicts Saturday Salons.
We found it particularly interesting to learn the effects of WWI on the history of their collection and as you go through the exhibit be sure to read all of the writing on the wall. Tea by Matisse and The Bay of Nice by Matisse we loved and the home movie towards the end is a must-see. The penultimate room was the best in our humble opinion and this entire exhibit is one to see!
Our original coverage of this exhibit:
