From the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City:
The Stein siblings—Gertrude, Leo, Michael, and his wife Sarah—were important patrons of modern art in Paris during the first years of the 20th century. This American family collected hundreds of artworks by a group of relatively unknown artists with whom they became close friends. The Steins opened their apartments on Saturday evenings to anyone who arrived with a reference in hand. At these salons, scores of international artists, collectors, and dealers passed through their doors in order to see and discuss the latest artistic developments, long before they were on view in museums. Ultimately, the Steins’ enthusiasm for avant-garde art—particularly the work of Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso—had an indelible impact on its development for decades to come.