Matisse, Cézanne, Picasso ... The Stein Family’s Adventure In Art

The Steins, an American family, moved to Paris in the early the 20th century: Gertrude, an avant-garde writer with her brother Léo at rue de Fleurus; Michael, the elder brother with his wife Sarah at rue Madame. The first buyers of Matisse and Picasso, they held open house to the artistic avant-garde of the period and built up one of the most astonishing collections of modern art. 

This exhibition takes a look back at the family’s outstanding contribution to modern art. It shows the importance of the Stein family’s patronage for artists and how this commitment made a mark on the development of taste in modern art. It focuses on: Leo Stein’s perception of the sources of modernity, and dialogue with the intellectuals of the time; Gertrude Stein’s friendship with Picasso; her poetical writings and cubism; Sarah Stein’s links with Matisse; the collaboration between Gertrude and the artists of the twenties and thirties. 

This major show will bring together an outstanding selection of works from the Stein family’s different collections: Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, Manguin, Bonnard, Vallotton, Laurencin, Gris, Masson, Picabia and more. Divided into eight sections it will shed light on each member of the family: Leo, Sarah, Michael, and Gertrude.