The Barnes

This past weekend, my mother and I visited the Barnes Foundation. It is a jewel in the middle of Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.

"Dr. Albert C. Barnes established The Barnes Foundation in 1922 to 'promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.' " This mission is displayed throughout the entire property.

The Barnes Foundation, which is just as Dr. Barnes left it before he died in 1951, includes a gallery and arboretum. Dr. Barnes had a very unique way of displaying his art. Because he believed that all people regardless of race, socio-economic status, age, and gender should be able to enjoy art, he displayed his art in an educational way that sparks discussion. Why did he put these two paintings next to each other? What can we learn from this? Unlike most art museums which display one painting on a wall with a description next to it, Barnes places Monet, Cezanne, Renoir, Rousseau, and Modigliani all together on one wall, without any description. This forces the observer to figure out what Barnes was thinking when he hung the paintings, how the paintings tie together, and how the images and colors speak to one another.

Dr. Barnes had an appreciation for all types of art, not only paintings but intricate hinges, Hope Chests, functional African art, sculptures from the tops of cathedrals, everyday furniture, and even pottery crafted by a little child.



Paul Cezzane once said, "The day is coming when a single carrot, freshly observed, will set off a revolution." I think that Barnes believed that observation could evoke emotions and set off a revolution in the way we see art. He brought paintings to his factories so that the workers too could observe and learn. He valued the opinion of children and what they thought of Van Gogh and Monet. He hangs a Matisse next to an old ornamental chair that is weighted down by an African pot. He forces you to think beyond the strokes, to the wall color, to the furniture in the room, and over to the metal used on the door hinge. When on the Barnes property, it is hard to ignore that Dr. Barnes did start a revolution how one looks at art.