As part of the exhibit "A Modern Scandal," SFMOMA included works by other artists who were inspired by Matisse's "Femme au chapeau." The colors, paint strokes, and facial expression of the self-portrait by Jeanne Hebuterne pulled me in. Hebuterne was a model and artist in the early 20th century.
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| Self-portrait, Jeanne Hebuterne, SFMOMA - 6/2026 |
The Etruscans were amazing sculptors, before the Romans. Their skills in modeling the anatomy of the male figure as demonstrated in this Veiovis (Jupiter) sculpture was accurate, skillful, and beautiful.
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| Veiovis (Jupiter), Etruscans - 5/2026 |
Go see at the Legion of Honor Museum in San Francisco.
CoWaBunGA
Before the Romans, Etruscan civilization thrived in what is now Italy. The Legion of Honor Museum is currently highlighting the art and culture of the Etruscans in its exhibit, "Etruscans: From the Heart of Ancient Italy." Not only was I dazzled by the beautiful artwork, I was surprised how sophisticated Etruscan engineering was able to develop the water networks to support its population.
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| Caeretan Hydria, Etruscan - 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA
Kara Walker's "Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine)" will be ending soon at SFMOMA; go see before it's too late. The automatons remind me of frightening fairly tales of past days that continue to haunt us today. Grab a coffee, sit on the bench, and reflect on the past, present, and future.
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| Fortuna and the Immortality Garden (Machine), Walker - 05/2026 |
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| Nasty Liberty, Esther Hernandez, YBCA - 5/2026 |
To illustrate the influence of "Femme au chapeau's" painting on the modern art world, SFMOMA included a whole gallery of other artists who painted their interpretation of Matisse's work. I found this painting by Mickalene Thomas to be stunning.
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| "Qusuquzah, une tres belle Negress 1" Mickalene Thomas, SFMOMA - 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA
SFMOMA's new exhibit delves into the 1905 debut of Matisse's scandalous work "Femme au Chapeau" in the Paris Exposition. The radical use of color set apart a group of painters that changed the modern course of art. The artists were described as "les fauves" (wild beasts) for their use of non naturalistic colors to depict their surroundings.
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| Andre Derain, Matisse, SFMOMA - 5/2026 |
CoWaBunGA!
