Albert Barnes taught people to look at works
of art primarily in terms of their visual relationships.
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.”
In this spirit, here is an ”ensemble” of my own, a compilation of images from the up and coming Comcast Technology Center – with its dangerous-looking platform lift – and the Barnes Foundation. Photography inside the galleries is not permitted and, for once, I understand. With its small rooms and artworks arranged over the entire length and width of the walls, the ”ensembles” are not easy to capture – at least not by the casual photographer.
The Barnes Foundation
Philadelphia
February 25th, 2017
Great shots! I particularly like the third one. An interesting perspective.
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I stayed on that spot for a while; it was like a giant vertical peephole!
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I Love the angles, the buildings against the gray sky. The Barnes collection…. another place to visit!
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A very interesting collection. Had never seen so many Renoirs together in one place before! And this concept of showing the art in ensembles, very original!
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Have you seen the documentary ‘Art of the Steal’ about the Barnes collection? Fascinating.
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Not yet, thanks for reminding me! It was on top of the articles that popped up when I was searching more info about the Barnes collection… up to that time I had no idea the move to Philadelphia was recent and so controversial! My weekend movie, found thanks to you!
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Yes, I like this concept of “ensembles”.
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