The Steins, an American family, moved to Paris in the early 20th century. All the members of the family – Leo, Sarah, Michael and Gertrude – had an avant-garde approach to collecting, and built up one of the most significant collections of modern art of the time. The eight sections of this exhibition look at the history of this out-of-the-ordinary family of collectors who established a new standard of taste in modern art.
To begin with, it shows how Leo Stein was one of the first to recognise the talent of Manet, Degas, Renoir and Cézanne, the pillars of modern art, and his purchase of a key Fauve artwork, Matisse’s La Femme au chapeau (Woman in a Hat), which caused a scandal when it was first exhibited. The exhibition then takes the visitor through the Steins’ homes in the Saint-Germain-des-Prés district, where their salons attracted Parisian intellectuals curious to see works by contemporary artists such as Matisse, Picasso and Man Ray. Another section focuses on Sarah and Michael Stein, who were the first great defenders of Matisse’s art and supported his efforts to explain his paintings to the general public. Gertrude Stein, for her part, became a close friend of Picasso’s and supported him during his experimental work on Les Demoiselles d’Avignon.
In the 1920s, the Steins supported Post-Cubism and the Neo-Romantics. Gertrude Stein in particular defended a group of young painters, the neo-Humanists, as well as hyper realism
Galeries nationales du Grand Palais
From October 5 2011 to January 16 2012
Access:
3, avenue du Général Eisenhower
75008 PARIS
District : Champs-Elysées / Louvre
- Metro: Champs Elysées Clemenceau
- Bus : 28, 32, 42, 49, 72, 73, 80, 83, 93
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01 25th, 2012| 
