The Barnes Foundation

The health and safety of our staff and community are our top priority. Aligned with Philadelphia’s Safer at Home restrictions, aimed at limiting the spread of COVID-19, we are now temporarily closed to the public. At this time, the Barnes plans to reopen on Saturday, January 2, 2021. If you have purchased tickets, please call 215-278-7200 during normal business hours. We invite you to join us virtually for a Barnes Class and for our upcoming digital programs:... Wednesday, Nov 18 Conversation: Collector Sheldon Bonovitz with Nancy Ireson Broadcasting live 4 5pm: https://www.youtube.com/user/barnesfoundation Thursday, Nov 19 #BarnesRollCall: Live Talks with harpist Elizabeth Steiner and jazz singer Dandy Wellington Broadcasting live 4 4:30pm: https://www.instagram.com/barnesfoundation/ Monday, Nov 23 New Ways of Looking at Modigliani with Nancy Ireson & Simonetta Fraquelli 11:30am 12:30pm Register: https://www.barnesfoundation.org//modigliani-talk-ireson-f Every Friday: #BarnesTakeout New episodes go up at noon on our YouTube channel Monday, December 14: Facing Change: Race as a Social Construct 6 7:30pm Register: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/whats-/talks/facing-change Stay safe, we look forward to welcoming you back to #seeingtheBarnes!

Mural painter Pierre Puvis de Chavannes was born in France on this day in 1824. This work is related to a commission Puvis de Chavannes received to decorate the Boston Public Library in the 1890s. He painted nine murals that surround the Grand Staircase, with one wall dedicated to poetry. Here the Greek poet and playwright Aeschylus reclines in the foreground reading his play Prometheus Bound, while a scene from the tragedy transpires in the background. The Titan Prometheus, ...who stole fire from the gods to give to humans, is chained to a rock as punishment, unable to escape from the eagle that comes to peck out his liver. The palette of cool matte blues belies the grisly story. Dive deeper into this work by revisiting the #BarnesTakeout episode on it with Amy Gillette, collections research associate. https://youtu.be/5XGlrxNS61s . . . Pierre Puvis de Chavannes. Dramatic Poetry (Aeschylus), c. 1896

Discover the work of a storyteller whose rich and varied sculptures feature remarkable narratives carved in wood in Elijah Pierce’s America, on view starting September 27. Born on a farm in Baldwyn, Mississippi in 1892, Elijah Pierce joined the Great Migration and settled in Columbus, Ohio, in 1924. After years spent working as a barber and preacher, he opened his own barbershop in 1954, which became a social hub and functioned as his studio. Over the span of 50 years, Elijah... Pierce created an impressive body of work that includes religious parables, autobiographical scenes and episodes from American politics. Pierce once said, I’d carve anything that was a picture in my mind. I thought a pocket knife was about the best thing I’d ever seen. 100 rarely seen works by this virtuoso woodcarver will be on view in the Roberts Gallery from September 27, 2020, through January 10, 2021. This is the first major retrospective of Pierce’s work to be presented outside his home city for more than 25 years. Timed tickets for #ElijahPiercesAmerica are now available. Book: https://bit.ly/elijahpiercesamerica Capacity will be limited to help facilitate social distancing. . . . L: Elijah Pierce by Kojo Kamau. From the Digital Archives of the Columbus Museum of Art, courtesy of Carolyn Allport R: Elijah Pierce, Couple with Roses, 1975. The Collection of Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz. Promised gift to the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Happy birthday to American painter Charles Demuth, born on this day in 1883. This watercolor, which hangs in Room 17 of the Collection Gallery, is based on a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about a prince hiding from a fictional plague called the Red Death. In the midst of the plague that is ravaging his kingdom, the prince hosts an extravagant masquerade ball. The party is a success until an unwelcome guest shows upa mysterious figure dressed as the Red Death, who brings the horrible plague with him. This painting by Demuth depicts the moment before the Red Death appears, the revelers swaying to and fro, oblivious to the fate that awaits them. . . . Charles Demuth. The Masque of the Red Death, c. 1918

Register for the online Barnes Class: 20th-Century Architecture Survey the major architectural monuments of the 20th centuryworks by Louis Sullivan, Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, and more. Tuesdays, January 526 | 1 2:30pm... https://www.barnesfoundation.org//20th-century-architectur See more

This weekend explore life, faith and politics through the work of virtuoso woodcarver and storyteller #ElijahPierce. Book tickets or a private tour of #ElijahPiercesAmerica: https://bit.ly/elijahpiercesamerica https://www.barnesfoundation.org//elijah-pierce-private-to... Witness Pierce's reaction to life in 20th-century America and his experience as a man of faith and part of the first generation of African Americans born into freedom. Private tours are a one-hour experience for you and up to four guests.

Treat yourself to a calm, crowd-free shopping experience and find unique gifts for the art lovers in your life. Shop the Barnes three ways this holiday season: 1 Online: https://shop.barnesfoundation.org 2 Onsite on Saturdays, December 12 & 19, 10am-5pm... 3 Virtually with a personal virtual shopper: https://shop.barnesfoundation.org//virtual-barnes-personal See more

#BarnesTakeout: Ancient or modern? Join Carl Walsh, postdoctoral fellow in the department of research, interpretation, and education, in uncovering the authenticity of this Egyptian relief. Watch & subscribe to our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/3Pbb60_Zwdo

Thank you to 6abc Action News for spotlighting the Barnes Shop! Visit us in person tomorrow, December 12 from 10am-5pm or shop for holiday gifts anytime online! http://shop.barnesfoundation.org https://6abc.com//celebrate-the-holidays-at-these/8664335/

#BarnesTakeout: Pierre-Auguste Renoir painted Bather and Maid later in his life, after his impressionist period. Learn more from Martha Lucy, our deputy director for research, interpretation and education. Watch and subscribe to our Youtube channel! https://youtu.be/bPmvoEeLaAU

This holiday season, safely experience the joy of Barnes’s collection virtually. Build a customized online tour experience around our unparalleled collection, to share with family, friends or colleagues. Give the gift of an art experience to those dearest to you! Learn more: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/what/private-virtual-tours

How about an art break while we wait? Catch up with last week's episode of #BarnesTakeout. Trace the clues in this painting to learn the possible identity of its subject with Robin Craren, collections research coordinator. Watch and subscribe to our YouTube channel! https://youtu.be/ewxNZxCUlAI .... . . Frans Hals. Portrait of a Man Holding a Watch, 1643. See more

Indulge in a #museummomentofzen with this serene and calming landscape by Alfred Sisley. The impressionist painter was born on October 30 in 1839, and spent most of his life in France, but interestingly retained British citizenship. Sisley was supremely dedicated to painting landscape en plein air and only rarely deviated into painting figures. This landscape is one of two oil paintings by Sisley in our collection, both of which depict landscapes in the French countryside and were likely painted on site from direct observation. . . . Alfred Sisley. Sèvres Bridge (Le Pont de Sèvres), 1877.

The French painter Jean-Siméon Chardin was born in Paris on this day in 1699. Growing up, he studied the works of the old masters in the French royal collection, honing his eye to nuances of light, color, and texture. He was mostly uninterested in the monumental history paintings that dominated the French contemporary style, and instead turned his hand to careful mimetic representations of everyday household objects, such as food items, livestock, crockery, and kitchen utensi...ls. Every detail was painted with meticulous realism, down to the smallest reflection of light off the edge of a copper tap. In 1728, Chardin began to gain recognition for his masterful still lifes and genre scenes and was accepted into the Académie at the age of 28, as a skilled painter of animals and fruit. A humble artist, he worked tirelessly throughout his career, but his work fell out of fashion near the end of the 18th century, when neoclassicism emerged. Despite the relative obscurity of his later years, Chardin’s influence was strongly felt in the following generations, and his work was an important inspiration to modern artists represented in the Barnes collection, such as Chaim Soutine, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse. Seek out this work in Room 3 of the Collection Gallery the next time you’re #seeingthebarnes! Revisit the #BarnesTakeout episode on this work at the link below. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKm50xkUq38 . . . Attributed to Jean-Siméon Chardin. Woman Drawing Water from a Water Urn, 17321740

Join us for PECO Free First Sunday Family Day on November 1! Enjoy free access to the Barnes collection as well as to Elijah Pierce’s America. Bring the whole family for an inspiring experience. Registration required: https://www.barnesfoundation.org//peco-free-first-sunday-n Can't make it? Then join us virtually for performances and activities on our Twitch channel. Barnes educators will host a show and tell about Pierce’s uplifting artwork then read a fun story. Woodwo...rker and furniture maker Keunho Peter Park will demonstrate woodcarving techniques and play some of the instruments he makes! twitch.tv/barnesfoundation Watch live Sunday, November 1, from 10 - 10:30am ET. On-site activities and performances are postponed until further notice. . . . IG: joeboruchow / sammystrong222 Elijah Pierce. Tiger, 1972. Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio. Gift of Mrs. Ursel White Lewis.

TONIGHT unwind with us and our friends at Urban One Media during the Barnes Art Ball after party hosted by Philly legend Lady B. We’re thrilled to welcome our special guest, Philly’s own DJ Jazzy Jeff, who will close out the evening. Dance away this rainy day with an evening of the hottest classic and contemporary R&B and hip-hop tunes spun by DJ Touchtone, DJ Jay Ski, DJ Greg Nitty and DJ Aye Boogie from Classix Philly, HipHop 103.9 and 100.3 RNB. Tune into our Instagram Li...ve at 7pm ET. https://www.instagram.com/barnesfoundation/ See more

Elijah Pierce's America is featured in The New York Times's Fine Arts & Exhibits special report, which focuses on how art endures and inspires, even in the darkest of times. "Given Mr. Pierce’s subject matter and his approach, an exhibition in 2020 couldn’t be more timely." https://nyti.ms/35kiNha ... Book tickets: https://bit.ly/elijahpiercesamerica

#BarnesTakeout: Learn about the journey of this music-making angel from an altarpiece to the Barnes collection with Amy Gillette, collections research associate. Watch & subscribe to our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/Uft1hcXb3x8

Treat yourself to an online art history course this November! Immerse yourself in a close study of the Barnes’s Cézanne collection or learn about Latin American modernism. Hear from a practicing archaeologist about famous (and controversial) digs around the world; or delve into the explosive political art of early 20th-century Germany. Feel like boning up on your French? We’re offering a course on Impressionism taught en française. Please join us! Classes are enrolling now.... And as always, scholarships are available. Register: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/classes . . . Paul Cézanne. Still Life with Skull (Nature morte au crâne), 1890-1893. See more

Get a look at the rich and varied woodcarvings in Elijah Pierce's America with NBC10 Philadelphia's Philly Live! Aunyea Lachelle chats with exhibition co-curator Nancy Ireson about the show. Book tickets: https://bit.ly/elijahpiercesamerica https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com//get-a-look-at-el/2564520/

Need weekend plans? According to The Wall Street Journal, it is time to put on a mask and book a ticket at the Barnes to witness the celebration of a remarkable, self-taught woodcarver. From vividly rendered biblical scenes, to autobiographical accounts, to three-dimensional objects, see life, faith and politics through the eyes of an expert woodcarver in Elijah Pierce's America. Book tickets: https://bit.ly/elijahpiercesamerica... . . . #ElijahPierce. The Book of Wood. 1932. Columbus Museum of Art, Ohio. Museum Purchase. See more

Teachers, are you looking to supplement your class offerings with something different? Our Barnes Art Adventure STEAM Art Careers series asks students in grades 58: How do you storyboard a digital world? How do you study fragile artworks? How are these activities related to STEM? Students will investigate these questions and more by working with Barnes educators and interviewing guest artists in fields that incorporate STEM learning to understand their work and solve the challenge! New series begin quarterly in October, January, and April. STEAM shows are best viewed as a four-episode series but can also be viewed individually. Learn more about our Art Adventures for grades Pre-K 8 at barnesfoundation.org/teachers.

In honor of our latest special exhibition, Elijah Pierce's America, this year’s Barnes Art Ball explores love, faith, community, and storytelling. Come prepared to be uplifted and inspired with a virtual showcase of fast-paced and fun digital short performances by internationally renowned musicians and art stars, all of whom have partnered with the Barnes over the years, including: sculpture, installation, and performance artist Nick Cave, installation artist Yinka Shonibare,... multimedia artist Mickalene Thomas, opera countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo, painter Pat Steir. Plus, an acoustic performance by Nick Bockrath of Cage the Elephant. We’re also featuring inspiring moments of creativity from Philly-based artists, including Ani Gavino, Ayana Evans, Colette Fu, Gabrielle Revlock, Hua Hua Zhang, John Jarboe, Kingsley Ibeneche, LaTreice V. Branson, and Rashid Zakat & Ikiré Jones. Last chance to book tickets! http://bit.ly/barnes-artball

#BarnesTakeout: Meet Cézanne’s long-suffering wife, Marie-Hortense Fiquet, with Associate Curator Cindy Kang. Watch & Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/QtySo2Q1YFk

Get some FaceTime with your favorite masterpiece at the Barnes! From Modigliani, to Matisse, to Seurat and Picasso, our permanent collection features some of the world’s most important impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings. Visit us Friday through Monday from 11am - 5pm. Book timed tickets: barnesfoundation.org... Share photos from your inspiring visit using #seeingtheBarnes or tag us! IG: sophia_suez, juiceontime, sierramckenzie0 & @mqfolders See more

In case you missed it, watch a recording of the live panel discussion Facing Change, our new online speaker series. Every other month, the Barnes is bringing together artists, scholars, and community activists virtually for a multicultural and intergenerational conversation about race in America. Last night's discussion tackled colorism, which refers to discrimination based on skin color, which disadvantages people with darker skin while privileging those with lighter skin. h...ttps://youtu.be/pJZycoqJzeQ Our panel features scholar-activist Yaba Blay, performing artist Madhusmita Bora, and workforce development advocate Sean Robinson, with producer Loraine Ballard Morrill as moderator. Register for free for the next talk Facing Change: Race as a Social Constructthe understanding that racial categories are manmade, not supported by biological science. The panel features film and media scholar Rob Buscher, writer and arts administrator Kalela Williams, and performing artist Ani Gavino, with producer Loraine Ballard Morrill as moderator. Register: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/whats-/talks/facing-change

Think you need an art background to take an online Barnes class? Think againcuriosity + love for art are the only requirements. Registration for November classes is open! Explore Cézanne, Latin American Modern Art, Art & Politics in Germany, and more! https://www.barnesfoundation.org/classes

Happy birthday to Maurice Brazil Prendergast, a post-impressionist artist who was born on this day in 1858. Prendergast is most known for his leisurely scenes depicting people enjoying beaches, parks, and other outdoor spaces. This small oil on panel was painted in 1907 on a trip to France. It portrays the shore in St. Mâlo, Brittany, France. In the background is the island of Grand Bé, which houses the tomb of Romantic writer, Francois-René de Chateaubriand. . . . Maurice Brazil Prendergast. Seascape St. Mâlo, 1907

#BarnesTakeout: Take a close look at American artist Charles Demuth’s personal take on cubism with Bernard C. Watson Director of Adult Education Bill Perthes. Watch & Subscribe to our YouTube channel https://youtu.be/vLEf9xIRc9I... Help us continue to sustain our current online offerings as well as exhibition and education programs by purchasing a ticket to this year’s virtual Barnes Art Ball. Party for a purpose, and celebrate the power of art to uplift and inspire! Learn more: http://bit.ly/barnes-artball Unable to participate in the Barnes Art Ball but still want to support? Make a donation of any amount to support the Barnes's mission to promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts. Donate: https://bit.ly/barnes-annualfund We are deeply grateful for your generosity in all its forms, with your help, we will continue to engage audiences near and far with our treasured collection.