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| Sèvres Porcelain Factory. Déjeuner chinois réticulé (1842). French. Designed by Hyacinthe Regnier and decorated by Pierre Huard. Porcelain, enamel and gilded decoration. © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. |
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| Odilon Redon (French, 1840-1916). A Vase of Flowers (1901). Oil on canvas. © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. |
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Larry Rivers (American, 1923-2002). The Last Civil War Veteran (1961). Oil on canvas. © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. |
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| Senufo People. Harp (korikaariye) (early 20th Century). Côte d'Ivoire, West Africa. Gourd, metal, paint, glass beads, wood, leather, enamel and cotton. © Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. |
By STAN PARCHIN
August 7, 2009
The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco announced on July 30, 2009 the acquisition of four important artworks on view at the Legion of Honor and M.H. de Young Museum.
Déjeuner chinois réticulé
A recent addition to the Legion of Honor's decorative arts collection is a 17-piece Sèvres tea service, Déjeuner chinois réticulé (1842), commissioned by French King Louis-Philippe (r. 1830-1848) and inspired by Chinese porcelain, enamels and lacquers. The vessels' elaborate design, including scenes from Chinese life and bamboo handles, reveals the high level of craftsmanship achieved by the state Sèvres porcelain factory in the 19th Century. The set's patterns were executed by reticulation or piercing of the porcelain's delicate surface.
A Vase of Flowers
Painted by French Symbolist artist Odilon Redon (1840-1916), A Vase of Flowers (1901) at the Legion of Honor represents the master's interest in floral compositions later in his career. Flat patterns and brilliant colors are emphasized in his decorative approach to the still life.
The Last Civil War Veteran
The M.H. de Young Museum acquired The Last Civil War Veteran (1961), part of an extended cycle of works by Pop Art pioneer, musician and filmmaker Larry Rivers (1923-2002). The artist appropriated the painting's central image from a May 11, 1959 Life magazine article entitled "The Last Survivor of the Civil War." Shortly after the piece was published but prior to the painting's execution, it was revealed that the Confederate cigar-smoking Walter Williams (1854-1959), the subject of both works, was an imposter.
West African Harp
Music plays an essential role in the ceremonies and secular performances of the Senufo, a West African people who live in Mali, Burkina Faso, Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana. A Harp (korikaariye) (early 20th Century) is the first string instrument to enter the de Young Museum's African art collection. Its carved female figurine with elaborate coiffure, originally the bridge that connected the object's four strings to its neck, is a representation of idealized beauty and an outstanding example of Senufo sculpture. Instruments such as this one are used in funerary and divinatory rituals to encourage the intercession of spirits.