Gustav Klimt, the Austrian artist behind the Viennese Secession, and Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor who pioneered modern sculpture, met just once in Vienna in 1902. They meet again in our foggy city of San Francisco, a landmark achievement for our art scene and an inspiration to the city in general. Never before has the West Coast seen a Klimt exhibit of this magnitude; paintings have been loaned from places such as Austria and Prague to make up the 36 works on display at the Legion of Honor. The museum’s own collection of Rodin pieces work in perfect synchronicity with the colorful paintings of Klimt. The curators of this exhibit said one of the driving forces behind their vision was to continue the conversation of these artists in a modern setting. The exhibit, they explained, is about changing the perception of a city and a collection. After all, art isn’t just about history; art is a constant dialogue that changes depending on how it is arranged, where it is showcased, who is looking at it, and what our own story is. Art leaves you changed. And the Legion of Honor had us dreaming in gold after our time spent wandering through these masterpieces. The effect is altogether dazzling. Don’t just take our word for it, though. Take advantage of this once in a lifetime union of artists by heading to the Legion of Honor ASAP. The exhibit runs until January 28, 2018. Curators say it’ll likely be another hundred years before a Klimt/Rodin collection of this size and quality comes together again. If that isn’t inspiration enough, what is? // Legion of Honor, Lincoln Park, 100 34th Avenue, Golden Gate Park, legionofhonor.famsf.org; open 9:30 a.m.–5:15 p.m., Tuesdays–Sundays, Open select holidays, closed most Mondays. Photography by Roberto Lopez
