Photo: famsf.org

On Saturday, December 6th, members of the California and Northwest Chapters gathered at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco for a curator-led tour of the special exhibition Manet & Morisot, followed by a champagne brunch at the oceanfront Beach Chalet.

Photo: Legion of Honor

The day began at 10:30 AM with an exclusive tour of the first major exhibition dedicated to the artistic exchange between French Impressionists Édouard Manet (1832–1883) and Berthe Morisot (1841–1895). Manet was the era's great pioneer of modern painting, and Morisot, the only woman to exhibit under her own name in the original Impressionist group.

Unfolding over a period of 15 years (1868–1883), the exhibition traced the evolution of a friendship between two groundbreaking artists. The story of their relationship has often been told through Manet's early portraits of Morisot, with Morisot's own work treated as an offshoot of Manet's. Recent scholarship reveals that, by the final years of his life, Manet increasingly followed Morisot's example—her choice of subjects and colors, and even her rapid, fluttering brushstrokes. Rich in new research, the exhibition recast this celebrated artistic friendship—and, by extension, the story of modern art—in a fresh light.

Following the tour, the group traveled a short distance to the Beach Chalet, where patrons enjoyed a multi-course champagne brunch with sweeping views of the Pacific Ocean. The meal offered a relaxed setting for conversation and reflection, perfectly complementing the morning's exploration of artistic collaboration and mutual influence.

Photo: Beach Chalet

This gathering was a wonderful reminder of the Patrons' shared commitment to engaging with transformative art and fostering meaningful connection through culture and discovery.