Art in a new light at San Francisco's museums - Fine Arts Museums

Sunset, Jan, 1991

Far from a match made in heaven, the 1972 merger of the M.H. de Young Memorial Museum and the Palace of the Legion of Honor into the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco seemed to defy all odds. The museums' respective founding patrons, newspaper publisher M.H. de Young and sugar tycoon Adolph Spreckels, were sworn enemies; in fact, Spreckels shot and wounded de Young after the Chronicle published an article maligning his family's business operations.

Until recently, the merger was mostly a marriage of convenience, with each museum continuing to maintain and develop its own collections. Now, however, with major reorganization and renovation completed, the museums have laid the groundwork for a true and lasting union. Gallery walls painted in bright tones, floors refinished or retiled, and skylights scraped clean of paint create a brighter backdrop for art. Just as important, the two museums' permanent collections of painting, sculpture, and decorative arts have been reorganized. Separate identities for each museum; more accessible collections Now, the de Young is devoted mainly to impressive holdings of 17th- to 20th-century American art, which before filled a few small galleries or storage; some galleries have also been set aside for 18th-and 19th-century British art, and traditional arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. At the Legion of Honor, formerly given over almost entirely to French art, a broader panorama of European art from the medieval period to the beginning of this century holds sway. In addition to esthetic improvements, the educational mission of the museums has been stepped up. Artworks are now displayed to provide visitors strolling from one gallery to the next with a chronological survey. Furnishings intermingled with paintings help evoke the culture of particular eras. Interpretive plaques and binders offer the curious more in-depth background on parts of the collections than was available before. Wednesdays through Sundays, docents lead tours of permanent collections; for times, call (415) 863-3330. For parents who'd like to keep their children occupied while they visit the de Young, there is a 11/2-hour art program for ages 7 through 13 at 10:30 Saturday mornings. Both museums are open from 10 to 5 Wednesdays through Sundays. Admission is $4 adults, $2 ages 12 through 17 and seniors. The de Young is in Golden Gate Park on the Music Concourse, near 10th Avenue and Fulton Street. The Legion of Honor is in Lincoln Park; from 34th Avenue and Clement Street, drive 1/2 mile northwest on Legion of Honor Drive.