Patterned after Napoleon ' Legion d Honneur in Paris, the museum in San Francisco houses a prestigious collection representing classical Mediterranean and European culture from antiquity to the 20th century. It boasts European masterpieces by some of the biggest names in art history and a fine collection of French furniture. This new survey of selected works from the collection of the Legion of Honor pairs beautiful reproductions with enlightening commentaries. The two museums that in 1970 became the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco were at one time rival institutions. The de Young museum grew out of the California Midwinter International Exposition of 1894. The Legion of Honor had its genesis in the Panama-Pacific International Exposition of 1915, but was conceived from the outset as a museum of fine art. 125 colour illustrations
