Go - One of the Best Kept Secrets in Philadelphia, The Barnes Foundation
Are you a die hard art lover? Do you just love the atmosphere of a museum or art gallery? Do you feel like, meh, you’ve seen one you’ve seen them all? Across the board, if any of the latter describes you I have just what you need! One of the best kept secrets of Philly, The Barnes Foundation.
The Barnes Foundation view from the front entrance.
What it is:
It’s hard to say what the Barnes Foundation is in one word, so here are a few…
Unique - It’s art school, meets arboretum, meets gallery, meets museum.
Cezzane (Personal Photo)
Impressive- A impressionism, post-Impressionism, and early modern, art lover’s dream! One of the greatest collections in the world! According to the Foundation (and a Wikipedia check), this private collection has 900 paintings including;
I only became aware of this Picasso painting by visiting The Barnes Foundation.
(Personal Photo)
181 by Renoir
69 by Cezanne
59 by Matisse
46 by Picasso
21 by Soutine
18 by Rousseau
16 by Modigliani
11 by Degas
11 by Chirico
7 by van Gogh
6 by Seurat
Strange- Also included among the paintings are ancient artifacts from Africa, Native American objects and jewelry, along with iron work and even Pennsylvanian Dutch furniture! What’s strange is they aren’t housed in separate areas, they are all commingled in a fascinating way that ultimately makes perfect sense in more than one way.
Ingenious- The paintings, artifacts, objects, and sculptures and furniture are arranged like no other museum I’ve ever known. They are grouped by ensembles created by the original collector himself and highlight:
This Renoir surrounded by Cezzanes shows Renoir’s smooth painting style against Cezzane’s signature strokes leaning towards Cubism. Also notice the Free mason iron work displayed to contribute to whole aesthetic.
(Personal Photo)
Artists that were friends and influenced each other
Pieces that reflect a contrast of art sentiment or style of the time
Pieces that when put together, make a completely separate artistic statement
The effect of natural light
Mysterious- Perfect for the conspiracy theorists who love the Freemason topic. The collector that created the Foundation was a member and symbols, some obvious some not so obvious, are seen throughout the layout of the museum.
Fascinating- This medical doctor’s personality was a juxtaposition of being cantankerous with neighbors but also kind and sensitive enough to have a need to share his philosophies of life that included benefiting from an appreciation of beauty, art and horticulture.
Can you see the similarities in this Modigliani and the African artifacts and other paintings around it?
The Founder
The Barnes Foundation started as the personal collection of the antiseptic inventor, medical doctor, and art collector, Dr. Albert C. Barnes. He was born into poverty in South Philadelphia but went on to make a fortune from his medical invention and pharmaceutical company, The A C Barnes Co.
After building his mansion in 1905 he started collecting art. With a keen art sense he was one of the first American collectors that had an appreciation for Modigliani and Soutine. Around 1908 Barnes started providing seminars and art discussion groups for his pharmaceutical employees. Eventually it grew to art programs in partnership with University of Penn and Columbia University.
This painting by Henri Rousseau is one of my favorites. The size along with the velvet like texture is really a treat for the eyes. What also makes this a favorite is Rousseau’s story. Not a trained artist, Rousseau was all but completely ignored. His work was criticized as unrefined. Rousseau is the poster child of never listening to the outside world. He stayed true to his vision and emerged as genius with a unique vision.
Sculptures in the same arrangement as they were in Dr Barnes original vision. The similarities in items that aren’t alike is again highlighted.
The Barnes Foundation was originally housed next to Barnes’ mansion and opened in 1925. It included Dr. Barnes unique ensembles that defied convention and included what appeared to be a hodge podge of artifacts and paintings. The Dr. included a trust with the founding of The Foundation with strict stipulations on everything from pieces not being loaned to opening the collection up to the public. The personality of Dr. Barnes along with the influx of public spectators, effected funding of The Foundation along with the neighbors cooperation of keeping the Foundation in the residential area. Having personally seen the collection organized in the original mansion, I can attest to the fact that the placement of art combined with the design of the mansion and lighting, was in fact an ingenious, unique, and quite an awe-inspiring experience. I can also attest to the fact, that for art lovers, the announcement that The Barnes Foundation had to find a new location, was extremely disappointing, to put it mildly.
In 2012 The Barnes Foundation moved to Philadelphia. I visited with my breath held and almost skipped with glee upon realizing that the integrity of Dr. Barnes’ vision in the creation of the original foundation was in tact, even keeping the integrity of the original lighting placement and ceiling height! Can you read the excitement in my voice? It really is a magical place where art comes alive and time stands still. If you’re a art lover and are ever in Philly you have to hit The Parkway to see it!
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Go - If You're Ever in Philly ...
Philadelphia is more than just history. It’s also a city of great spaces. The benefits of being on the Deleware River is the scenic views, cool breezes, and the way music echos across the water. Recently the Pier scene of Philly has exploded with them being revamped and restored for the perfect outings. You’ll find seating, hammocks, music, food. There are beer gardens, pop up shops, small dog areas, and substantial Philly arts presence.
I’ve lived in South Jersey, about fifteen minutes from South Philly for about three decades now and Philadelphia has always been, for me, the dark horse to always be compared with Manhattan. Over the years though, it has grown on me as our family started to grow and the two hour drive to New York wasn’t as easy as it used to be. Then Philly started to change. The art scene started to grow, the great restaurant offerings just continued to get better, and then the piers and pop up parks began. You had me at free day trips!
I grew up in Massachusetts, the middle of three girls. Family values were extremely traditional and my mom stayed at home and my dad was in construction. We grew up in a little house on a hill my parents purchased before I went into kindergarten on two acres of land, with woods behind to run free and a river to skate on in winter. When we weren’t home we traveled to Northern New Jersey and New York to visit family (where my love for New York started). Other than that my father was a fan of day or weekend trips. He would put us in the car and we’d drive to Vermont, Rhode Island, upstate New York, or where ever we could get to before my father didn’t feel like driving any more. We’d stop along the way and take pictures, pick flowers, look at scenery, and sometimes find a hotel for the night. I guess this is where my sense of adventure came from. It’s something that has been important for me to hand down to my children too.
So all the new sights in Philadelphia are wonderful and welcoming to me personally! We bring the kids and can spend a lazy day sightseeing, learning, people watching, eating, you name it. We explore in University City, shop and eat at Rittenhouse, hang out in South Philly, and now we do movie nights at The Oval, Concerts and Festivals at Festival Pier, drink rootbeer floats in hammocks at Spruce Street Pier, ice and roller skate at the Blue Cross River Rink at Penn’s Landing.
It’s Spring Break and we’re doing a staycation because we’re homeowners and this Spring is new siding and a new roof. Yesterday we took the kids to the newly renovated Cherry St Pier. A gorgeous space with the metal bones of the pier warehouse still in tact. The artist collective, Tiny Room for Elephants, has now found a permanent home there and the art is perfect for selfies and capturing your imagination. Just South of Race St Pier you could totally make a day of just Pier jumping and then walking the Philadelphia High Line.
So my friend, if you ever find yourself in Philly, don’t miss out on all that the “little big city” has to offer. You can make some great memories!