As the weather in NYC becomes more and more sultry and gorgeous, I’m thinking of my beautiful Golden Gate on the west coast, where the skies are always blue and it feels like summer all year round.

One of my favourite galleries is set high on the peninsula south of the GG bridge. Built in a neo-classic style with symmetrical Ionic Grecian columns leading to a courtyard centered by a beautiful example of European sculpture in the Rodin Thinker, the Fine Arts Museums of SF’s imposing Legion of Honor overlooks the rolling green of Lincoln Park and the rugged Lands End cliffs that cascade into the gates of San Francisco Bay.

The Thinker - Auguste Rodin, 1904

Us with The Thinker 2013/14…

In 1925 the Spreckles family completed the building and dedicated it to the city of San Francisco. A replica of the French Pavillion from SF’s 1915 world’s fair, the unique building was constructed by Applegarth and H. Guillaume and dedicated to Californian soldiers of WWI.

The Age of Bronze - Auguste Rodin, 1875-77

The permanent collection feels to be centered on a large quantity of Rodins, beautifully grotesque studies of human form.

Embracing Figures, Damned Group - Auguste Rodin, ca. 1885

Embracing Figures, Damned Group - Auguste Rodin, ca. 1885

St. John the Baptist Preaching - Auguste Rodin, 1878

St. John the Baptist Preaching - Auguste Rodin, 1878

A wonderful feature of this collection, is a vast number of European painting reaching back through the centuries and encompassing fifteenth century porcelain to European Expressionism, Impressionism and a large American collection including some fantastic hugely relevant Modern pieces. Dotted with masters but featuring a great deal of lesser known European painters, such as this stunning 17th Century van Aelst…

Flowers in a Silver Vase - Willem van Aelst, 1663

Flowers in a Silver Vase - Willem van Aelst, 1663 (Detail)

Flowers in a Silver Vase - Willem van Aelst, 1663 (Detail)

…and these Pre-Raphaelite Millais portraits…

Portrait of a Girl - Sir John Everett Millais, 1857

The Kissed Mouth - Sir John Everett Millais, 1857

The modest collection of Impressionist and modern works are beautifully curated. There are significant Manets, Gaugains, Matisse works, Seurats, a Pissarro, some lovely Monets, a Sisley, and even several Picassos.

Landscape at Beaulieu - Pierre Auguste Renoir, 1899

Eiffel Tower - Georges Seurat, 1859

Water Lilies - Claude Monet, 1914-17

Mum with the Monet in 2014…

Banks of the Loing - Alfred Sisley, 1891

The Inner Port - Camille Pissarro, 1902

The great beauty of the museum is the building itself, and simply visiting is an experience. It is so perfectly situated.

Views of the city stretch out the south, and to the north, the truly rugged natural coastline is flanked by the breathtakingly magnificent bridge guarding the world-renown entrance to the immense bay.

Skillington family visit! 2014

On a different SF visit - Joneses being cute 2014

Liv at Legion of Honor 2013/14

For anyone who’s heart is lies in the west, basking in the San Francisco sun, and lulled by the slow beating, flower-stamped call of the wild west, Legion of Honor, and all of the untamed natural peninsula of Lands End, is and will forever be a special piece of everyday paradise.

Oh California… can check out anytime we like, but we’ll never really leave.

Love Liv and Rob xx