Absinthe exhibit in Berkeley

Jean-François Raffaëlli's 1881 painting The Absinthe Drinkers (Les buveurs d'absinthe)—heralded as one of the French artist's most significant works—is coming to San Francisco's de Young Museum for the summer. The timing of this acquisition couldn't be better: The museum opened its special Birth of Impressionism: Masterpieces From the Musee d'Orsay exhibition last month. The Absinthe Drinkers will reside in the entrance to the exhibition until the end of summer before traveling to its permanent home, the Legion of Honor. As it is, both de Young and the Legion boast impressive selections of Raffaëlli’s works on paper. Said John E. Buchanan, Jr., the director of the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, “The Absinthe Drinkers had a remarkable debut in 1881 and it continued to captivate viewers at the World Columbian Exposition in 1893, the Art Institute of Chicago in 1895, and the National Gallery in 1986. I am thrilled that the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco was able to seize the rare opportunity to own and present the painting to our visitors. This acquisition underscores the importance of collecting the best of kind.”