The California Palace of the Legion of Honor consistently ranks as my favorite museum in San Francisco. Up in the hills at the far west end of the city, it offers dramatic views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay. The architecture of the museum, with its striking courtyard and Rodin’s The Thinker, inspires photographs almost as much as the artwork inside.

Currently on exhibition is Pissarro’s People, an examination of the individuals that inspired French impressionist Camille Pissarro. I particularly liked his depictions of the marketplace. To describe his paintings as “bustling” feels odd, though accurate.

Finally, San Francisco is offered a chance to gaze upon Bernini’s Medusa, on loan from the Musei Capitolini in Rome. What makes this piece particularly unique is how he depicted her as sad and in pain, rather than utilizing the usual monstrous images others would. read more »