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Barnes Foundation

Name: Barnes Foundation
Address: 2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy, Philadelphia, PA, 19130, US
Telephone: (215) 278-7000
Price range: $$
Rating: 4.7

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Barnes Foundation

We offer fresh new ways to through a renowned collection, exhibitions + programs.
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The Barnes was founded in 1922 by Philadelphia art collector Dr. Albert C. Barnes, with the belief that learning with and through art is a powerful agent for personal growth and social progress. In the Barnes collection, artists such as Renoir and Picasso share space with remarkable African masks and Native American jewelry in ensembles that invite the viewer to draw their own connections across a

rtistic traditions and time for a singularly immersive experience. Since relocating to Center City in 2012, the Barnes has continued this visionary legacy. From thought-provoking exhibitions that champion artists across diasporas, identities, periods, and disciplines, to robust social and educational programs that bring together communities and learners of all ages, the Barnes sparks exploration of our world through art.

12/04/2023

The , Pennsylvania-born artist (1883–1935) is remembered today as a master watercolorist 🎨

His talent was widely acknowledged in his lifetime, particularly by Dr. Barnes, who collected 44 of Demuth's exquisitely painted sheet—all still on display in our galleries today 😮

Not all of Demuth’s watercolors were universally celebrated, however. Many of the artist’s works depict his erotic experiences and encounters; as an openly artist, used his practice to explore his in frank, striking, and unabashed ways.

In an upcoming, online , Charles Demuth: The Erotic Watercolors - happening Mondays, 1/8 – 1/29, 6 – 8 pm, we'll examine these works and offer new perspectives on the life of a key artist in the history of the Barnes. Join us as we get up close and personal with Demuth’s most intimate works.

🎓 Scholarships available! Learn more and register for this course today 🔗 https://bit.ly/46g7yUD
🎨 Charles Demuth. Distinguished Air (detail), 1930. © Whitney Museum of American Art / Licensed by Scala / Art Resource, NY

12/04/2023

“I just loved and felt so at home at the Barnes Foundation and feel a pull to return. I don't recall ever being so touched by a museum.” – Barnes Member ❤️

This year, we kicked off our second century: one hundred and one years ago today, the Barnes was founded by Dr. Albert C. Barnes as an institution committed to arts education and appreciation 🎨

Today we celebrate that anniversary with Barnes Giving Day and invite you to join us! In honor of our second century, a generous donor has offered to match all gifts received through the end of the year 💝

With your matched support, we will continue to share the power of art with an ever-expanding audience through a wide range of offerings:
🏡 Community programming offered throughout Philadelphia including our third year of Early Learner Summer Pods offering free summer activities for low-income families, arts programming for teens, and the distribution of thousands of art activity kits.
🍎 Innovative arts education offered throughout the Greater Philadelphia area with 6,500 pre-k-12 students served in the 2022 – 2023 academic year, including field trips, instructor visits, and virtual lessons.
💻 The launch of a brand new, Visual Experience Platform, offering a more immersive, interactive experience for learners of all ages.
🖼️ Three acclaimed exhibitions: Sue Williamson & Lebohang Kganye: Tell Me What You Remember, William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision and : Sapphic Paris, now on view through January 21, 2024 ✨

When you donate to the Annual Fund, you make that work possible – and your impact will be doubled ‼️ Please consider making a matched donation today 🔗 https://bit.ly/40ZqCVY

12/03/2023

Got some extra time in your schedule this / ? Take a with us! Here are just a few classes we have coming up:

✔️ Online: Photography and Painting | Thursdays, 1/4 – 1/25 from 6 – 8 pm
✔️ Online: El Greco: Renaissance Mystic and Modernity’s Vanguardist | Saturdays, 1/6 – 1/27 from 11 am – 1 pm
✔️ Online: Learning to See | Mondays, 1/8 – 1/29 from 2 – 4 pm
✔️ Online: Charles Demuth: The Erotic Watercolors | Mondays, 1/8 – 1/29 from 6 – 8 pm
✔️ Online: Mysticism, Spirituality, and Modern Art | on Wednesdays, 1/10 – 1/31 from 6 – 8 pm
✔️ On-site: The Elements of Art | Tuesdays, 1/23 – 4/23 from 1 – 4 pm
✔️ On-site: Collection Concentration: Paul Cézanne | Tuesdays, 1/23 – 4/23 from 6 – 9 pm
✔️ Online: The Traditions of Art | Thursdays, 1/25 – 4/25 from 1 – 4 pm
..and that's only what we have coming up in ! 🍎

Check out all of our upcoming classes on our website + register for today ❗ 🔗 https://bit.ly/43SpMu6

12/02/2023

🎂 Happy Birthday to Georges Seurat, born in 1859 🎂

debuted Models (Poseuses) at the Salon des Independants in 1888, as a way of majorly 👏 clapping 👏 back 👏 to his critics, declaring that - his daring painting technique - could be applied to one of the most revered subjects in the history of art: the n**e 👤

Two years earlier, at the eighth and final exhibition, he presented 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte' —1884, 1884–86, a scene of middle-class leisure ~and~ a declaration of his aesthetic principles. used theories of light, color, and optics to contrast individual touches of pure color on his canvas 🖌️ He believed people would see these hues in a more vibrant way 👀

However, some commentators (haters?🤔 ?) suggested that his intricate brushstrokes were best used to illustrate landscape and atmospheric effects 🌈

Models depicts commonplaces seen in annual salons: a genre scene of models disrobing, posing, and dressing in a corner of the artist's studio. While the narrative of Models remains elusive, these women are perhaps "auditioning" in the hopes of securing modeling work. This parade of models permitted Seurat to demonstrate his own virtuosity with three views of the n**e—from the front, side, and back—and the suitability of his technique to the subject.

🥚 You can spot an within Models - it's A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte ( which you can see at The Art Institute of Chicago ) on the wall, which was 's way of calling out prior criticisms of his style 🐣 He positioned his models against , permitting a comparison of n**e and clothed, interior and exterior 🖼️

See all of our works by Seurat in our online collection here 🔗 https://bit.ly/47A2USh
🎨 Georges Seurat. Models (Poseuses) (detail), 1886–1888, Oil on canvas. The Barnes Foundation, BF811.

12/01/2023

🗣️ Calling all K-12 teachers 🗣️ Register your students to take on the Challenge this year by 12/15!

🏁 THE CHALLENGE 🏁
Groups of as little as 5 or as many as 30 K-12 students will use math strategies to design and build a 3D scale model of their choice of one pre-selected painting from the Barnes’s permanent collection 🖼️ They'll collaborate as a group to build the model and write a description of their mathematical process ➕ ➗ ✖️ 📐

This competition culminates with a display of all submitted models at the Barnes’s -themed Family Day on March 3, 2024 🔜

Learn more and register by 12/15 for the challenge 🔗 https://bit.ly/47Way9A

11/30/2023

That's a *wrap* on and for 2023 🎁

If you didn't know, while you're at the Barnes you can click https://barnesfoc.us/ on the mobile device of your choice, scan artworks and objects in the collection and special exhibitions, and learn more about the art at the Barnes 💡 *Plus*, you'll get an email at the end of your visit with a list of all of your scans 🖼️

Special shoutout to everyone who took a this year 🧠 💪 Art education is what we do at the Barnes and we couldn't do it without you ❣️

Our Winter + Spring classes are now enrolling 🎓 Browse the list of our upcoming classes and register today! 🔗 https://bit.ly/43SpMu6

11/30/2023

“The exhibition has the pleasure and lightness of an idyll, […] celebrating a woman who celebrated, collaborated with, and enjoyed the company of women” [and whose] “stylized Sapphic figures, unapologetically girly, seem to float upon the surfaces of her pastel canvases like characters in a Sofia Coppola movie.”

Read the full review in Hyperallergic: https://bit.ly/4752Nyd

Experience Marie Laurencin: before it closes January 21.
🎫: https://bit.ly/3SEClHc

“Why should I paint dead fish, onions, and beer glasses? Girls are so much prettier,” said painter Marie Laurencin.

11/29/2023

Known for his stubbornness as well as idealism, Dr. Barnes went after what he wanted with single-minded determination—and sometimes a wry sense of humor. Learn more from the Barnes’s Picasso Research Fellow, Naina Saligram:

As we explored earlier this month, Barnes’ first work by was chosen for him by , but the industrialist quickly took full control of expanding his art collection. By 1922, with the construction of the educational Foundation in mind, he sought out one picture with relentless fervor: “the big Copenhagen Picasso.” The painting in question, Acrobat and Young Harlequin of 1905, was then in the collection of Christian Tetzen-Lund, from whom Barnes would also acquire ’s Bonheur de vivre. On the back of the stretcher, the “TL” stamp designates its former Danish owner.

Archival correspondence with dealer between 1922 and 1924 teems with Barnes’ interest in the painting, granted, for the right price: “You know my wishes about the Picasso in Copenhagen” (Aug. 11, 1922); “Of course, I will buy the big Picasso (belonging to your friend in Copenhagen)...” (Nov. 13, 1922); “Please keep in mind that I want the big Copenhagen Picasso” (Feb. 4, 1923). repeatedly assured Barnes that he had not forgotten about the painting, and when Tetzen-Lund visited Paris in late 1924, Guillaume and Barnes rapidly exchanged cables and finally secured the work at its steep asking price of 135,000 francs.

Perhaps annoyed that he’d paid more than he wanted, Barnes played a joke on Tetzen-Lund and denied that the 1905 masterpiece was being sent to Philadelphia at his behest. He claimed that there must have been a mistake, because he’d asked for works by Picabia, not Picasso, and that was no longer worth collecting.

Unaware of Barnes’ antics, Tetzen-Lund responded with sincere admiration for the artist’s work, stating that “the big Picasso…is a very fine picture, and I advise you to see it in your gallery before returning it to Paris.” Thankfully, Barnes was not serious, and the beloved “big Picasso” remains on view in room 19 today.

Learn more about Picasso's life and work + get tickets for our December Spotlight Tour: Remembering Picasso🔗 https://bit.ly/3swCfqJ
🎨 Ensemble view. Room 19, East Wall. The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
Detail of stretcher for Acrobat and Young Harlequin, 1905 (verso). BF382. The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
✉️ Letter. Albert C. Barnes to Paul Guillaume, November 13, 1922. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Letter. Paul Guillaume to Albert C. Barnes, February 19, 1923. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Telegram. Paul Guillaume to Albert C. Barnes, September 30, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Telegram. Albert C. Barnes to Paul Guillaume, October 2, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Telegram. Paul Guillaume to Albert C. Barnes, October 2, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Letter. Christian Tetzen-Lund to Albert C. Barnes, October 4, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Letter. Albert C. Barnes to Christian Tetzen-Lund, October 17, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
✉️Letter. Christian Tetzen-Lund to Albert C. Barnes, November 3, 1924. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia

11/28/2023

🎨 “From the moment I held the box of colors in my hands, I knew this was my life. I threw myself into it like a beast that plunges towards the thing it loves.” ―Henri Matisse 🎨

was enthralled by color and pattern. Color was an expressive life force for the artist, whether it was opaque, transparent, saturated, or subtly nuanced. In this class, taught live from the Barnes galleries, we will examine how created a new way of using color—a style that became known as .

In this upcoming, online, *one-day* workshop, Matisse and Color – happening Wednesday, December 13, 10 am – 4 pm – we'll trace the artist’s experiences of color and light in North Africa and examine his portrayals of beautiful women, exotic locations, textiles, and objects in and around Nice in the 1920s. We’ll also consider The Dance, the ambitious Barnes mural he completed in 1933, as the catalyst for a change in Matisse’s artistic practice, propelling him toward collage and design and culminating in his stained-glass work at the Vence Chapel.

Register for this here🔗 https://bit.ly/3q3FNPS

Scholarships are available! Apply today 🎓

📸 on IG

11/27/2023

❗ *Get 20% OFF online on !* ❗

Save an extra 5% off an online , on top of our discount, for Cyber Monday 💸

What’s in store? 🔎
✔ Expert Guidance: Learn to from renowned art historians and experts.
✔ A Dive into History: Delve deep into the fascinating stories behind art movements, from pre-Renaissance to modernism to the art of today.
✔ Interactive Learning: Our deep-zoom technology allows you to get up close to art in ways that can’t be experienced in person—right down to the individual brushstrokes.
✔ Hidden Gems: Explore lesser-known artists and uncover hidden treasures from within the Barnes collection and around the globe.

Did you know? Barnes classes also make great gifts 🎁

Take advantage of our Cyber Monday deals now! 🔗 https://bit.ly/46u3VKC
🖼: Henri Rousseau. Woman Walking in an Exotic Forest (detail), 1905. BF388. Public Domain.

11/27/2023

Isn't it hard to imagine a time when people in the art world couldn’t spell 's name ⁉️ Learn more about it from the Barnes’s Picasso Research Fellow, Naina Saligram ⬇️ ⬇️

Such was the case when artist procured ’s Young Woman Holding a Cigarette of 1901 from the Galerie Vollard. Sent to to acquire great modern paintings for Dr. Barnes’ budding collection, brought back more than 25 works, including this early Picasso. The Barnes's Archives hold a receipt recording the purchase on February 28, 1912 for 1000 francs. The back bears a hesitant inscription spelling out “Peccasso,” likely in Glackens’ hand.

The following year, Picasso remained little known in the United States. When Dr. Barnes—by then, the owner of 8 works by Picasso—composed a letter to the Galerie Durand-Ruel in June 1913, his office staff typed the artist’s name as “Peccatso.” Notably, as you can see, ’s name is spelled correctly! These archival documents reflect a period when Picasso had not yet gained name recognition or taken root in the American public imagination.

As we approach the end of 2023, a year when the world has been commemorating Picasso’s legacy in a global “Picasso Celebration,” we invite you to step back from the mythology surrounding the artist and to re-engage with his art and its history in direct and concrete ways.

Does adopting the perspective of the historical moments when Young Woman Holding a Cigarette was created and collected make you 👀

Want to join in on the with us? Check out all of our -related offerings at the Barnes here 🔗 https://bit.ly/3MuxULh
🎨 Ensemble view. Room 10, South Wall. The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia
📄 Receipt [recto]. Ambroise Vollard to William Glackens, February 28, 1912. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
📄 Receipt [verso]. Ambroise Vollard to William Glackens, February 28, 1912. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia
📄 Letter. Albert C. Barnes to Galerie Durand-Ruel, June 23, 1913. Albert C. Barnes Correspondence, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia

11/26/2023

Having given you a view into the relationships between Dr. Albert C. Barnes and two of his most important friends and collaborators, and , we’re moving on to sharing correspondence from the individual who may have had the single biggest direct influence on Dr. Barnes’s famous art collection: French dealer Paul Guillaume.

and Barnes first corresponded in 1922, at a pivotal point for Dr. Barnes’s growing art collection and the Barnes Foundation. Planning for the Barnes's Merion gallery building began the same year, followed by the Barnes receiving a charter as an educational institution in December of 1922. Amidst this flurry of activity, Barnes was writing to in France, arranging to purchase works by the likes of and , as well as large numbers of African sculpture.

The two continued to correspond for the next decade. During that time, Guillaume wrote multiple articles about and staged exhibitions of the works he purchased for Barnes, while also acting as the Barnes’s Foreign Secretary in Europe. The two often wrote to each other in excitement and high spirits, though their relationship ultimately ended in tension and disagreement.

In the next couple spotlight posts, we’ll share some letters from Paul Guillaume and Dr. Barnes’s correspondence. You can view the entire correspondence between Dr. Barnes, Guillaume, and others at any time via the Albert C. Barnes Correspondence Spotlights 🔗 https://bit.ly/44ERFqq 🔗
📸 Paul Guillaume and Laura L. Barnes in a rolling chair on the boardwalk in , NJ, 1926. Unidentified photographer. Photograph Collection, Barnes Foundation Archives, Philadelphia

11/26/2023

It’s Museum Store Sunday ✨

Support our educational mission by shopping at the Barnes Shop online today and receive 20% off all regular-priced items (no code necessary on shop.barnesfoundation.org or prints.barnesfoundation.org).

11/24/2023

The accolades keep pouring in for : Sapphic Paris!

Broad Street Review hails it as “an illuminating show, particularly for the LGBTQIA community as part of a her-storic narrative that offers a deeper understanding of how our ancestors constructed their worlds within their sexual preferences and identities” while noting that it’s “a historical first for a prominent Philadelphia museum.”

Read the review: https://bit.ly/49ox7W5

And then come see what all the fuss is about! 🎫: https://bit.ly/3SEClHc

With radically sweet images of women and hardly a man in sight, painter Marie Laurencin constructed a world of female friendship, camaraderie, and low-key eroticism, as explored in a new exhibition at the Barnes. K.A. McFadden reviews.

11/23/2023

Thankful for art, our incredible staff, and you - today and every day ❣️

Want to learn more about this beautiful work by ? Read more about it in these 🔗 https://bit.ly/45VkTCM

🎨 Horace Pippin. Supper Time, c. 1940, Oil on burnt-wood panel.

11/22/2023

❗ *Get 15% OFF Online on !* ❗

This Black Friday, elevate your appreciation for art and explore the rich tapestry of art history through our online classes.

Whether you’re an art enthusiast, a budding art historian, or just curious about the world of art, our classes are tailored to suit your interests and knowledge level. Plus, there’s no homework. All you need is curiosity and an open mind!

Did you know? Barnes classes also make great gifts 💝 *HURRY* This offer expires on 11/26! 🔜 🔗 https://bit.ly/479EFur
🖼: Vincent van Gogh. The Factory (detail), 1887. BF303. Public Domain.

11/21/2023

We're continuing our at the Barnes through December with our Gallery Specialist, Emily, taking a closer look at 's Acrobat and Young Harlequin in Room 19 on the East Wall 🎨

Want to learn more about Picasso's life and work? Get tickets to our November Spotlight Tour: Remembering Picasso today🔗 https://bit.ly/3FvIDBq

11/20/2023

This , gift the Gift of the Barnes 🎁

You can give the gift of admission, a (or two!), prints from the , a beautiful keepsake from our , and even a membership to the Barnes.

The art lover in your life can uncover surprising insights about their favorite artists or learn something completely new. are taught by art experts and offered online and at our Philadelphia campus 🍎

A Barnes membership is a gift that gives all year, including free admission to world-premiere exhibitions and exclusive virtual programs and special insider access—it's the perfect gift to treat yourself, your family, and friends 💝

Give the to someone you love so they can , too 🎁 Learn more about our offerings here 🔗 https://bit.ly/47xXsiY

11/20/2023

📣 *GIVEAWAY ALERT!* Enter now to win this jampacked gift bundle filled with -themed goodies! 📣

We're giving away this excellent selection of Marie : -inspired goodies to kick off the !🎁

Our prize package includes a "Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris" Exhibition Catalogue, the PONO Rochelle necklace and Gia hoop earrings generously donated by designer Joan Goodman, Arita Blue jewel dish hand-made in Japan, Blackwing Pearl Pink pencil set, and a set of two Laurencin-inspired notebooks. This gift bundle is valued at approximately $650!

Here’s how to enter:
✔️ Follow on Instagram
✔️ Follow on Instagram
✔️ Like the post on Instagram
✔️ Tag 2 friends in the comments on Instagram

This ends on - Sunday, November 26th at 11:59 P.M. EST, and the winner will be announced Monday, November 27th at 12:30 P.M. EST on the ’s and our 's Instagram Stories.

Please note: this giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram. U.S. only! Must be 18+ to enter.

11/19/2023

Join us for FREE on 12/3, 10 am - 5 pm for PECO Free First Sunday Family Day: New Traditions 🤗

On the first Sunday of the month, we've got free admission at the Barnes!

On Sunday, 12/3, get ready to swing and sway today to musical performances by Los Bomberos de la Calle, presented in partnership with . Learn about the music and dance traditions of with members of Los Bomberos, and enjoy fun art activities and free access to the collection and : Sapphic Paris.

Registration opens Thursday, November 30, at 10 am.

Activities include:
🎨 10 am – 4 pm | Art Activities | ages 2+
Join us for art activities, a scavenger hunt, and play that celebrate traditions new and old. Perfect for the whole family.
📖 10:30 – 11 am + 11:15 – 11:45 am | Storytime | ages 2+
Miss Pam from Baby Wordplay explores new and old traditions from around the world with interactive read-alongs.
🗣 1:00 – 1:30 pm + 2:30 – 3 pm | Los Bomberos de la Calle
Los Bomberos de la Calle is an Afro–Puerto Rican music and dance ensemble directed by Anthony Mendez or “Mr. Tony.” The mission of Los Bomberos is to preserve bomba and plena music and to bring good vibes and positivity to local communities. Put on your dancing shoes: Mr. Tony and Los Bomberos will teach you the steps for bomba and plena!

Bookmark this page to register on 11/30 🔗 https://bit.ly/3SEFsix

See you there!

11/18/2023

How many paintings and drawings by did you spot on these walls in our post from yesterday? 🔍 👀

As some of you might have guessed (or known!), this dense arrangement on the West and North walls in Room 10 features exactly 10 works by Pablo (1881-1973) 🖼️ Generally small in scale, these pictures were made on canvas, wood panels, and paper, and they span in date from the very beginning of the 20th century to about 1923.

Far from representative of the artist’s long career, they reflect instead the range and eccentricities of Dr. Barnes’s Picasso collection. To his friend Leo Stein in 1946, Barnes stated of the artist: “I have examples of every period of his work that I think is worthwhile.”

In the West Wall ensemble (photo 1), Barnes foregrounded Picasso’s versatility. Flanking the central axis, a pair of roughly sketched single-figure studies from 1906-1907 hangs directly above two graphic and colorful still-lifes with interlocking shapes from the early 1920s. Differing in genre, composition, palette, paint application, and style, these works exemplify Picasso’s constantly shifting artistic practice.

Perhaps surprisingly, in his book "The Art of Painting," Barnes criticized this defining aspect of Picasso’s art, writing that it was precisely the artist’s “wavering” aesthetic project, which lacked coherence or clarity of purpose and direction, that made him “less powerful and original than men of the first rank.” .

Through December, we’ll be sharing a series of posts that look more closely at some of our Picassos, and at Dr. Barnes as a complex, even paradoxical, collector of and thinker about the artist’s work. We hope you follow along!

Explore Picasso’s paintings in the Barnes + get tickets for our November Spotlight Tour: Remembering Picasso 🎨 You’ll learn about his life, friendships, and rivalries with Georges , Henri , Amedeo , and more 🔗 https://bit.ly/3FvIDBq
🖼️ Ensemble View. Room 10, West and North Walls. The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia

11/17/2023

💡 Did you know that the Barnes Foundation has 46 works by Pablo Picasso in its collection? 💡 How many paintings and drawings by can you spot on these walls? 🔍 👀

Let us know which works you can spot in the comments! Come back tomorrow for the answers ✔️

Interested in learning how Picasso's personal life influenced his unique take on modernism? Join us onsite or online this Sunday, November 19, at 1:30 pm for Picasso's Melodrama, a talk with Joseph Henry, the Florence B. Selden Fellow at the Yale University Art Gallery and a PhD candidate at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, specializing in Euro-American modern art.

Learn more and get tickets 🔗 https://bit.ly/40EfbDb
🖼️ Ensemble View. Room 10, West and North Walls. The Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia

11/16/2023

In response to : Sapphic Paris, Headlong Dance Theatre has developed Horse Woman: Making a World of One's Own, a new performance inspired by ’s work and life 👯

In the early 1920s, Marie Laurencin designed sets and costumes for ’s production of Les Biches, featuring a scenario of sexually fluid romantic intrigue. “ ” had multiple meanings at the time—a doe, a kept young woman, a —and Laurencin playfully intertwined these meanings in her designs 🖋️

Inspired by this production, David Brick and Norma Porter of Headlong have reinterpreted the ballet’s themes for today and channeled the female-animal landscape of Laurencin’s aesthetic world to explore contemporary notions of fluidity, queerness, and gender. Horse Woman features luminous costumes by Maiko Matsushima that draw from Laurencin’s use of color and depictions of gender.

Two open rehearsals that invite the audience into the choreographic process will culminate in a *final performance* on Thursday, January 18 from 7 – 9 pm, with a panel discussion with the creative team moderated by exhibition co-curator Cindy Kang 🔜

Open rehearsals:
✔️ Saturday, November 18 | noon - 2 pm
✔️ Friday, December 15 | 1 - 3 pm

*FREE* with admission, performances take place across the Barnes—in the Roberts Gallery, Annenberg Court, and outdoor spaces—and invite audiences to watch and roam, adding a new dimension to experiencing Laurencin’s work as well as the architecture of the Barnes 🖼️

This performance series is choreographed by Headlong’s David Brick and Norma Porter in collaboration with designer Maiko Matsushima and dancers Saturn Freeman, Courtney Henry, and Jungwoong Kim. Sound design is by Jordan McCree.

Learn more and get tickets today 🔗 https://bit.ly/47vFg9m
🎨 Costume design sketch for Horse Woman by Maiko Matsushima.

11/16/2023

In response to : Sapphic Paris, has developed Horse Woman: Making a World of One's Own, a new performance inspired by ’s work and life 👯
-
In the early 1920s, Marie Laurencin designed sets and costumes for ’s production of Les Biches, featuring a scenario of sexually fluid romantic intrigue. “ ” had multiple meanings at the time—a doe, a kept young woman, a —and Laurencin playfully intertwined these meanings in her designs 🖋️
-
Inspired by this production, and Norma Porter of Headlong have reinterpreted the ballet’s themes for today and channeled the female-animal landscape of Laurencin’s aesthetic world to explore contemporary notions of fluidity, queerness, and gender. Horse Woman features luminous costumes by that draw from Laurencin’s use of color and depictions of gender.
-
Two open rehearsals that invite the audience into the choreographic process will culminate in a *final performance* on Thursday, January 18 from 7 – 9 pm, with a panel discussion with the creative team moderated by exhibition co-curator Cindy Kang 🔜
-
Open rehearsals:
✔️ Saturday, November 18 | noon - 2 pm
✔️ Friday, December 15 | 1 - 3 pm

*FREE* with admission, performances take place across the Barnes—in the Roberts Gallery, Annenberg Court, and outdoor spaces—and invite audiences to watch and roam, adding a new dimension to experiencing Laurencin’s work as well as the architecture of the Barnes 🖼️
-
This performance series is choreographed by Headlong’s David Brick and Norma Porter in collaboration with designer Maiko Matsushima and dancers Saturn Freeman, Courtney Henry, and Jungwoong Kim. Sound design is by Jordan McCree.
-
Learn more and get tickets today at the link in bio🔗
🎨 Costume design sketch for Horse Woman by Maiko Matsushima

11/16/2023

🎶 Join us on Friday, 12/1 from 6 - 9 pm for First Friday! Laurin Talese 🎶

Enjoy an evening of art, live music, cocktails, and light fare at our monthly First Friday mixer, including two sets of music with jazz and soul vocalist Laurin Talese 🎤

Her 2016 album, Gorgeous Chaos, was met with wide acclaim. She won the 2018 Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, and in 2019 she represented the United States as a cultural ambassador with American Music Abroad. She has performed her original music with the Philadelphia Orchestra and has shared the stage with Gregory Porter, Lalah Hathaway, and Patti LaBelle.

Come out and enjoy this incredible evening of art, music, and community at the Barnes.

🎶 Live music sets: 6:30 and 7:45 pm

First Friday at the Barnes includes access to the collection galleries and : Sapphic Paris.

Seating is limited. Cocktails and light fare are available for purchase.

In the mood for something heartier? The Garden Restaurant is open for dinner during First Friday. Make your reservation for Friday, 12/1 between 6 and 8pm.

See you there! 🔗 https://bit.ly/46emt1B

Address

2025 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy
Philadelphia, PA
19130

Opening Hours

Monday	11am - 5pm
Thursday	11am - 5pm
Friday	11am - 5pm
Saturday	11am - 5pm
Sunday	11am - 5pm

Telephone

(215) 278-7000

Website

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Register your K - 12 students to participate in the 2024 Barnes Art of Math Challenge!

🗣️ Calling all K-12 teachers 🗣️ Register your students to take on the #BarnesArtOfMath Challenge this year by 12/15! 🏁 THE CHALLENGE 🏁 Groups of as little as 5 or as many as 30 K-12 students will use math strategies to design and build a 3D scale model of their choice of one pre-selected painting from the Barnes’s permanent collection 🖼️ They'll collaborate as a group to build the model and write a description of their mathematical process ➕ ➗ ✖️ 📐 This competition culminates with a display of all submitted models at the Barnes’s #STEAM-themed #PECOFreeFirstSunday Family Day on March 3, 2024 🔜 Learn more and register by 12/15 for the #ArtOfMath challenge 🔗 https://bit.ly/47Way9A

Picasso’s Acrobat and Young Harlequin

We're continuing our #PicassoCelebration at the Barnes through December with our Gallery Specialist, Emily, taking a closer look at #Picasso's Acrobat and Young Harlequin in Room 19 on the East Wall 🎨 Want to learn more about Picasso's life and work? Get tickets to our November Spotlight Tour: Remembering Picasso today🔗 https://bit.ly/3FvIDBq

Barnes Shop - Marie Laurencin Collection

To celebrate the opening of the Barnes’s newest special exhibition, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris, the #BarnesShop team transformed the store into a 1920s Parisian wonderland ✨ Here’s a sneak peek of the shop's evolution ▶️ Stop by in-store or online at the link to explore our #Laurencin collection and pick up a copy of the #MarieLaurencin: #SapphicParis exhibition catalogue 📖 https://bit.ly/3I4i7Ro Visit the Barnes website to get tickets to see our special exhibition today! 🎟️ https://bit.ly/3p3unuV

November Adult Education Classes at the Barnes 🍎

💡 Got some free time this #November? Register for one of our upcoming Adult Education classes 🦃 Visit our website to learn more about our upcoming #BarnesClasses 🔗 https://bit.ly/43SpMu6 (*pssst* classes make a great gift, too 🎁) Register for a #BarnesClass - gift a class to a loved one - today 🎓

Thank You for Coming to the 2023 Barnes Art Ball ✨

Who was at the 2023 #BarnesArtBall?! It was a vibe ✨ Tag yourself in the comments + share with your friends! The Barnes Art Ball raises critical funds that ensure the future of our educational mission, exhibition program, and our wide array of community, artistic, and scholarly projects. We couldn't do it without you - thank you for the continued support 💕 Check out the full photo album from the night on FB here 🔗 https://bit.ly/3FG6n5P See you at the Barnes Art Ball in 2024 🥂

Register for Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris on Tuesdays from 11/7 - 12/5 🔜

Marie Laurencin’s unique, female-centered vision of modernism has long been sidelined and misunderstood in mainstream narratives of 20th-century European art 🎨 From her cubist beginnings to the height of her career in 1920s Paris, #Laurencin developed a feminine and discreetly queer aesthetic world as an alternative to the male-dominated avant-garde. Explore our fall 2023 exhibition, with co-curator Cindy Kang in an upcoming *on-site* #BarnesClass, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris – taking place on Tuesdays, 11/7 – 12/5 from 1 – 3 pm 🇫🇷 We’ll examine how #MarieLaurencin built an artistic universe through her signature motifs and palette, and her collaborations across media, including ballet and interior design. We will be looking closely at objects in the Roberts Gallery and enjoy guest lectures from specialists involved with the exhibition will illuminate Laurencin’s multifaceted practice. Scholarships available! Apply today 🎓 🔗 https://bit.ly/3QcG2mf

Register today for Early Picasso: 1901 - 1906 starting on 11/1!

🎂 Happy Birthday to #PabloPicasso, born #OnThisDay in 1881! 🎂 There’s still time to register for upcoming #BarnesClass: Early Picasso: 1901 - 1906 taking place on Wednesdays, 11/1 - 11/29, from 3 - 5 pm! We'll shine a spotlight on Pablo #Picasso’s early work, from 1901 to 1906, the mainstay of Dr. Barnes’s holdings by the artist. Using deep-zoom technology that offers unprecedented views of surface details, we will reappraise works from these years, including masterpieces from the Blue and Rose Periods, through a series of case studies on pictures in the Barnes collection 🔍 Register for this course today 🔗 https://bit.ly/472hYIV

✨ Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris is now open ✨

✨ Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris is *now open* ✨ On view in the Roberts Gallery until 1/21/24, this exhibition explores Laurencin’s career, from her self-portraits to her collaborative decorative projects; from her early cubist paintings to her signature work—feminine and discreetly #queer—that defined 1920s Paris. Presenting more than 50 works by Laurencin, it examines how her visualization of a “sapphic modernity” subtly but radically challenges existing narratives of modern European art 🖌️ Get your tickets to see this breath-taking exhibition now 🔗 https://bit.ly/3p3unuV

Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris opens on 10/22 ✨

“If I feel so distant from other painters, it is because they are men…. But if the genius of men intimidates me, I feel perfectly at ease with everything that is feminine.” – Marie Laurencin ✨ Beginning in the early 20th century, French artist Marie Laurencin (1883–1956) created a unique pictorial world that placed women at the center of modern art. A fixture of the contemporary art scene in prewar Paris, she moved seamlessly between the male-dominated cubist avant-garde, lesbian literary and artistic circles, and the realms of fashion, ballet, and decorative arts. Her romantic relationships with women, particularly with the married fashion designer #NicoleGroult, inspired intimate paintings that visualized the modern #Sapphism of contemporary #lesbian writers like #NatalieCliffordBarney, and showcased a highly original, #feminine, yet sexually #fluid aesthetic that defined 1920s Paris 🇫🇷 #MarieLaurencin’s contributions to 20th-century art are underrecognized, and #SapphicParis is the first major US exhibition of her work in over 30 years. Co-curated by Simonetta Fraquelli, consulting curator for the Barnes, and Cindy Kang, curator at the Barnes, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris provokes questions about representation and access throughout art history. Get your tickets for opening weekend today 🔗 https://bit.ly/3p3unuV . . . . . 🎨 Marie Laurencin. The Circus (Le cirque), 1920. Private collection. Artwork © Fondation Foujita / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris 2023. Image © 2020 Christie’s Images Limited

Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris opens 10/22!

“If I feel so distant from other painters, it is because they are men…. But if the genius of men intimidates me, I feel perfectly at ease with everything that is feminine.” – Marie Laurencin ✨ Beginning in the early 20th century, French artist #MarieLaurencin (1883–1956) created a unique pictorial world that placed women at the center of modern art. A fixture of the contemporary art scene in prewar Paris, she moved seamlessly between the male-dominated cubist avant-garde, lesbian literary and artistic circles, and the realms of fashion, ballet, and decorative arts. Her romantic relationships with women, particularly with the married fashion designer #NicoleGroult, inspired intimate paintings that visualized the modern #Sapphism of contemporary #lesbian writers like Natalie Clifford Barney, and showcased a highly original, #feminine, yet sexually fluid aesthetic that defined 1920s Paris. Marie Laurencin’s contributions to 20th-century art are underrecognized, and #SapphicParis is the first major US exhibition of her work in over 30 years. Co-curated by Simonetta Fraquelli, consulting curator for the Barnes, and Cindy Kang, curator at the Barnes, Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris provokes questions about representation and access throughout art history. Get your tickets in advance to see Marie Laurencin: Sapphic Paris, opening on 10/22 🔗 https://bit.ly/3p3unuV . . . . . 🎨 Marie Laurencin. The Elegant Ball, or The Country Dance (Le bal élégant, or La danse à la campagne), 1913. Musée Marie Laurencin, Tokyo / © 2023 Fondation Foujita / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris.

October Barnes Classes

💡 Got some free time this Fall? Register for one of our upcoming Adult Education classes in #October 🎃 Visit our website to learn more about our upcoming #BarnesClasses 🔗 https://bit.ly/43SpMu6 Register for a #BarnesClass today 🎓!

2023 Barnes Art Ball - See you there!

✨ Join us on 10/20 at 7 pm for The 2023 Barnes Art Ball ✨ The #BarnesArtBall is *the* art party in Philadelphia, bringing together artists, philanthropists, collectors, connectors, and community partners for an art-filled celebration of the creative spirit. This free-flowing, campus-wide event features multiple bars, abundant food stations, performances by DJ Ben Arsenal, Lady Alma, and Lil’ Dave, pop-up performances, and the opportunity to explore the Barnes permanent collection and Fall exhibition. As is our tradition, the Barnes Art Ball is inspired by our fall exhibition. Marie Laurencin: #SapphicParis provides a stunning backdrop for this important and festive evening this year. The exhibition features the mysterious and dreamlike imagery of French #modernist painter #MarieLaurencin, who established herself among the realms of #fashion, #ballet, and decorative arts in the early 20th century. #Laurencin’s work subtly but radically challenges existing narratives of modern European art dominated by male artists. ❤️ Best of all? It's for a good cause❤️ The #2023BarnesArtBall raises critical funds that ensure the future of the Barnes’s educational mission, exhibition program, and a wide array of community, artistic, and scholarly projects. The theme is inspired fête galante🍾 Come wearing your most dazzling, fashionable, and chic attire 🥂 Tickets are on sale now - get yours today! 🎟️ https://bit.ly/3EnM50u

Barnes Art Ball 2023

Barnes Art Ball 2023 ✨ 10/20/23 ✨ Save the date! 🗓️ Get your tickets today 🔗 https://bit.ly/3EnM50u

Register for a #BarnesClass this September 🍎

💡 We've got a ton of really interesting Adult Education classes coming up this #September 🍎 Visit the link in bio to learn more about our upcoming #BarnesClasses 🔗 Register for a #BarnesClass today 🎓!

William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision closes 9/10 🔜

"I was gobsmacked by this exhibition."— ThINKingDANCE William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision is now in its *final weeks*⏳ Come see this special exhibition before it closes on 9/10 🔜 Public + private exhibition tours are still available for a limited time! Get your tickets today 🔗 https://bit.ly/43MJN6q

Education & Empowerment - Archival Exhibition: Scholarship Recipients at the Barnes, 1927–1949

In 1925, the Barnes published the first issue of its long-running journal. In the main article, “The Barnes Foundation: An Experiment in Education,” associate director Mary Mullen defined education as “the complete and harmonious development of all the capacities with which an individual is endowed at birth, a development which requires, not coercion or standardization, but guidance of the interests of every individual towards a form that shall be uniquely characteristic of him.” This concept of education, which remains core to the Barnes’s mission, originated in classes held for employees at the A. C. Barnes Company factory in West Philadelphia beginning around 1908. In sessions led by Albert Barnes and Mullen, employees would discuss their reactions to artwork hung in the factory, as well as to the writings of philosophers William James, George Santayana, and John Dewey. These classes led to the chartering of the Barnes Foundation in 1922. In the decades that followed, Dr. Barnes looked for more ways to democratize the educational experience at the Barnes and beyond. He started what became an informal scholarship fund to support individuals with interests adjacent to those of his foundation. At the Barnes, for example, though classes were tuition-free, he recognized other financial barriers for students—especially those outside Philadelphia—and funded scholarships to cover housing, transportation, and incidental expenses. And outside the gallery walls, he supported the education of artists and other scholars with funds to travel or conduct research related to their interests—be it music or medicine. Visit us on-site to learn more about this and more in our newest archival exhibition 🎓 Education & Empowerment: Scholarship Recipients at the Barnes Foundation, 1927–1949 🎓 🔗 https://bit.ly/47FJzjD Can't make it to the Barnes? Check out our online portal with archival exhibition information + more! 🔗 https://bit.ly/45CbJdX

Find Hidden Gems at the Barnes 💎

How many of these 💎 Hidden Gems💎 have you seen at the Barnes? Plan your visit to come #SeeArtDifferently at the Barnes and find some gems of your own 💎🔗 https://bit.ly/3OUviZ9

William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision closes 9/10 🔜

#WilliamEdmondson: A Monumental Vision is now in its final weeks! Come see this special exhibition before it closes on 9/10 🔜 Get your tickets today 🎟️ https://bit.ly/43MJN6q

Henri Rousseau - Self-taught painter 💎

The work of #HenriRousseau is unmistakable - we have 18 works by #Rousseau in our collection and many of those #HiddenGems are peppered throughout the gallery 🔍💎 Find all 18 of them when you’re here. #SeeArtDifferently at the Barnes 👀

Scouts Attacked by a Tiger - Conservation Project 🎨

We’ll miss seeing Scouts Attacked by a Tiger by #HenriRousseau on display for a while, but we’re *thrilled* to see it after this much-needed conservation project ✨ We’re breaking down our conservation efforts in a multi-video series that we’ll release while Scouts is off display! Stay tuned to our socials to learn more about what we’re doing to care for this painting and get it looking fresh for 2024 🎨

William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision on 6ABC - see this special exhibition before it closes 9/10!

*NOW ON VIEW* William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision 🏛️ Come see our newest special exhibition, highlighting the incredible work of #WilliamEdmondson, now on view until 9/10 🔜 Watch the full 6ABC segment here 🔗 https://6abc.cm/3rnm51S Grab tickets to the exhibition today 🔗 https://bit.ly/43MJN6q

Save the Date ✨ 2022 Barnes Art Ball

📅 Save the Date ✨ Barnes Art Ball - October 21, 2022 - Celebrating 100 Years ✨ Get your ticket now ➡️ https://bit.ly/3Q3etrY

#BarnesArtBall ✨ 10/15 @ 7PM 🎟 Be there!

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Our Story

We believe art is for everyone. Our founder, Dr. Albert C. Barnes, believed that art had the power to improve minds and transform lives. Our diverse educational programs are based on his teachings and one-of-a-kind collections—both his art holdings and the rare trees, flowers, and other plants at the Barnes Arboretum. Learn more about our history.

An art experience like no other.

The Barnes is home to one of the world’s greatest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern European paintings, with especially deep holdings in Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, and Picasso. Assembled by Dr. Albert C. Barnes between 1912 and 1951, the collection also includes important examples of African art, Native American pottery and jewelry, Pennsylvania German furniture, American avant-garde painting, and wrought-iron metalwork.

The minute you step into the galleries of the Barnes collection, you know you’re in for an experience like no other. Masterpieces by Vincent Van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso hang next to ordinary household objects—a door hinge, a spatula, a yarn spinner. On another wall, you might see a French medieval sculpture displayed with a Navajo textile. These dense groupings, in which objects from different cultures, time periods, and media are all mixed together, are what Dr. Barnes called his “ensembles.”