Here is a chance to view a Taste for Modernism together on the weekend, before it closes on December 30th.

About the Exhibit--

A selection of major works from the William S. Paley Collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York is currently being exhibited at the de Young Museum. The Paley Collection, which includes paintings, sculpture and drawings, ranges in date from the late 19th century through the early 1970s. Particularly strong in French Post-Impressionism and Modernism, the collection includes multiple works by Paul Cezanne, Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, as well as significant works by Edgar Degas, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Paul Gauguin, Andre Derain, Georges Rouault and artists of the Nabis School such as Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Vuillard.

Among the works that will be exhibited at the de Young are Gauguin's The Seed of the Areoi (1892), an important female nude from the artist's first trip to Tahiti; Cezanne's Milk Can and Apples (1879-80); Degas’ exquisite pastel Two Dancers (1905); Derain's dynamic Fauve painting Bridge over the Riou (1906); Picasso's celebrated Boy Leading a Horse (1905-06); Matisse's masterpiece Woman with a Veil (1927) and Francis Bacon’s Study for Three Heads (1962).

This exhibit follows recent exhibits of this genre: The Steins Collection at SF MoMA; Picasso Masterpieces at de Young; Post-Impressionist Masterpieces at de Young; and Birth of Impressionism at de Young in 2010.

Where, When & How Much--

>Entry to the exhibit costs $20 (adults), $17 (seniors 65+) $16 (students with current ID). Free to members and children 5 and under.

>There is a $3 fee when you register for the event that covers subscription costs and reduces no-shows.

>Your ticket admits you to the permanent collection as well as another special exhibit--Rudolf Nureyev: A Life in Dance. Come early to enjoy more for your money.

>We expect the museum to be crowded on a weekend afternoon. You should reserve your ticket in advance, online: http://deyoung.famsf.org/deyoung/exhibitions/william-s-paley-collection-taste-modernism

>We meet at 1:00 and go into the exhibit at 1:15 sharp. At around 2:45-ish we'll head to the museum cafe for coffee, tea and other treats. We are social museum-lovers, so do not RSVP unless you plan to join us in the cafe.

>The event host will check the meetup site at 8:30 am on 12/16 for last minute questions. After that, she can't be reached by phone, email, morse code or smoke signals.

>Late cancellations are frownded upon. No-shows are not acceptable. We appreciate your understanding and reliability.