LEONARDO DA VINCI AND THE SPLENDOR OF POLAND : Leonardo’s important Lady with an Ermine: Portrait of Cecilia Gallerina, c1490, is one of Europe ’s most celebrated paintings and it will be center piece of the exhibition “Leonardo da Vinci and the Splendor of Poland”.  The portrait by Leonardo will be accompanied by approximately 75 outstanding European paintings by master of the 15th and 16th centuries.  These works are drawn from Poland ’s leading national collections and feature paintings by, Jan Van Goyen, Ingres, Jan Lievens, Alma-Tadema, Memling and Winterhalter.  In addition to these and other well-known artists, and exceptional group of Polish masters, principally of the 19th century, will be represented.  The overall selection reflects the interests of Polish collectors, who built amazingly rich and today, relatively little known, collections of European old master paintings.  Institutions lending to this exhibition include the Wawel State Collection in Cracow ; the National Museums , Royal Castle , and the Palace at Wilanow, all in Warsaw ; the National Museum of the Raczynski Collection in Poznan ; the National Museum in Gdansk ; and the Czartoryski Museum in Cracow which most generously makes the Leonardo painting available for this exhibition. (Reprinted from the exhibitions press release.)  

NAPA VALLEY ART COLLECTIONS: The di Rosa Collection is arranged in four gallery buildings; the Gate House, Main Gallery, the former di Rosa Residence and Tractor Barn.  In addition there are over 150 pieces of outdoor sculpture in the garden areas, the meditation chapel and the central courtyard.  At Domaine Chandon art surrounds the visitors with craftsmanship indigenous to Napa Valley and highlights local artists.  Their works are exhibited throughout the salon, restaurant, grounds & winery.  Works by Richard Botto and Tamra Koehler, Jeff and Lisa Jacklich are permanently on display.  

CONTEMPORARY ART GALLERIES : Art Exchange Gallery, owned by Claire Carlevaro handles exclusively second market work by local, national and international artists.  On exhibition will be the work of “Agelio Batle”.  Heather Marx Gallery established in 2001, by Heather Marx represents emerging and mid-career artists who work in a range of media including painting, photography, sculpture and mixed media and specializes both in abstract and minimalist aesthetic as well as representational work and showcases the work of artists from California and New York .  On exhibition will be the work of “Gregory Denis”.  

                
The Le Colonial & Piperade Restaurants
The di Rosa & Domaine Chandon Collections  

The Culinary Arts: The San Francisco debut of Le Colonial brings a taste of French Colonial Southeast Asia to the Bay Area. Le Colonial is located at the legendary San Francisco address, once the site of the historic Trader Vic's, and is within walking distance of the Prescott Hotel.  The atmosphere at Le Colonial evokes the tropical elegance of Vietnam (a French colony at the time) in the 1920s. From the patchwork tile floors to the graceful palm trees and rattan and shuttered windows, Le Colonial feels as if it was transported here from 75 years ago and 10,000 miles away. Vintage black and white photographs of life in Saigon at the turn of the century adorn the walls, while ceiling fans gently stir the air. Designer Greg Jordan, whose celebrity clients include Robert Trump and Pat Riley, insures a sense of timelessness and grace.   Betelnut chef Barney Brown has created a menu that encompasses Southeast Asia and the Pacific rim .  This combined in an authentic Pejiu Wu (beer house) has been one of he hottest spots in San Francisco since it opened.  At Domaine Chandon Restaurant the goal is to present a meal with innovative preparations of timeless classics utilizing only the freshest seasonal and local ingredients.  For many of the dishes chef Eric Torralba has grown the vegetables and herbs in the garden on the grounds of the winery.  The new restaurant opened by Chef Gerald Hirigoyen, who also owns Fringale, is Piperade.  Piperade is a classic dish of Basque cooking made by melting together onions, peppers, tomatoes and garlic. Piperade (both the restaurant and the dish) captures the robust tastes, sense of tradition and celebratory soul of Basque cuisine.  From the main dining room, a large wall of glass doors opens onto a sheltered, cozy patio for al fresco dining year round.

 
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