ARTISTS
American Beauty: The Osher Collection of American Art
The 19th and 20th centuries were an exceptionally dynamic time in American culture. Anchored by Impressionist and Realist artworks, this exhibition spans the years 1848 to 1960 and presents a variety of artistic responses to this complex period. This promised gift from Bernard and Barbro Osher enhances our American art collection with several significant 鈥渇irsts鈥�: the first large-scale oil painting by Winslow Homer (The Angler, ca. 1874), the first genre picture by William Merritt Chase (Spanish Bric-脿-Brac Shop, 1883), the first major George Bellows landscape (In Virginia, 1908), the first Georgia O鈥橩eeffe images of the Southwest (Front of Ranchos Church, 1930 and The Patio, 1940), plus thirteen artists entering our collection for the first time. The historic sweep of these paintings, drawings, and sculptures is reflected by several recurring themes, including the adventurous spirit of artists abroad, enduring allure of Impressionism, intimacy and immediacy of portraiture, and beauty of America鈥檚 landscapes and seascapes. Together, the works expand and enrich the story of American art in our galleries.
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The 19th and 20th centuries were an exceptionally dynamic time in American culture. Anchored by Impressionist and Realist artworks, this exhibition spans the years 1848 to 1960 and presents a variety of artistic responses to this complex period. This promised gift from Bernard and Barbro Osher enhances our American art collection with several significant 鈥渇irsts鈥�: the first large-scale oil painting by Winslow Homer (The Angler, ca. 1874), the first genre picture by William Merritt Chase (Spanish Bric-脿-Brac Shop, 1883), the first major George Bellows landscape (In Virginia, 1908), the first Georgia O鈥橩eeffe images of the Southwest (Front of Ranchos Church, 1930 and The Patio, 1940), plus thirteen artists entering our collection for the first time. The historic sweep of these paintings, drawings, and sculptures is reflected by several recurring themes, including the adventurous spirit of artists abroad, enduring allure of Impressionism, intimacy and immediacy of portraiture, and beauty of America鈥檚 landscapes and seascapes. Together, the works expand and enrich the story of American art in our galleries.
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鈥淥ne of the most transformative donations in its history鈥� is how Thomas P. Campbell, CEO and director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, describes the promised gift to the institution of the Bernard and Barbro Osher Collection of American Art.
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