Janet Bishop: A Few More Stein Stories
October 25, 2011 | ByFiled under: Essay
Henri Matisse, _Flowers_, 1907 © Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
We were able to share some of these stories of the Steins’ influence in our exhibition and catalogue. But as the book approached 500 pages and the number of illustrations nearly that many, it wasn’t possible to include plates of the more modest pieces that the Steins somehow had a hand in their friends acquiring. I’m grateful to Open Space for the chance to picture some of them now. The Steins’ friend Annette Rosenshine was, like Sarah Stein, an artist herself. Rosenshine was deeply intrigued by the Matisse paintings Sarah and Michael brought with them from Paris to San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake. She accompanied the Steins back to Paris at the end of that year and took an apartment upstairs from theirs at 58 rue Madame. Rosenshine was among the first group of students at the Académie Matisse, and, inspired by Sarah and Michael, accumulated a handful of modern pictures. “Influenced by Mike’s practicality, I learned not to squander my trifles,” she remembered. “With the saved francs I bought three Matisses” — a drawing, a watercolor, and Matisse’s Flowers (1907), which she purchased for $35.
Apparently Levy reminded him of his previous wife, Anna Levertin, also of Jewish descent, who recently had betrayed him. This really wasn’t an auspicious coincidence… I think you’re right in saying that the portrait is unappealing, but interestingly it shows off Edström’s growing misogyny. He didn’t have the spirit to make women, whom he found base at this time of his life, goddesses.
October 25th, 2011 at 1:20 pmmsTfU7 cdmwarnchhpn
January 29th, 2012 at 7:52 amI’d title your site the actual dreamland! While Santa claus scrapes from our doorway just once each year, you weblog is open up the whole year C amazing!
May 10th, 2012 at 8:45 pm