The organisers certainly know how to make a successful exhibition: put the big names in lights! The names of Gertrude and Leo Stein are slightly less ‘sexy’ and relegated to the end of the title (“…the Stein Family adventure”). Either way, it’s thanks to them that we have this amazing collection to see, and crowds there certainly will be. One of the major exhibitions for after-summer Paris this year…Three big names (The Grand Palais, the Museum of Modern Art in San Francisco and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York), three great artists on the poster (Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso) and many more on show, and a family that not only collected works of art but practically artists themselves; Gertrude knew Picasso, and her sister-in-law had links with Matisse.

The exhibition is your chance to see 120 works from the family’s collection, bought during the early 20th century.

However, some items formerly belonging to the collection are now missing, (like the Renoir at the top of this article), and the exhibition organisers have launched a request for information. You can see the works they are trying to track down here). Don’t worry though, even if those pieces are not found, there is still plenty of exceptional work to be seen in the colleciton, including masterpieces by not only Renoir, Cézanne and Picasso, but also Matisse, Bonnard, Vallotton… Exceptional stuff!

The exhibition Cézanne, Matisse, Picasso… the Stein Family adventure is at the Grand Palais (here) from 5th October 2011 – 16th January 2012.

More info here: www.rmn.fr