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The Barnes collection revealed

Last Saturday visited the twelve acre estate of the late Albert Barnes of The Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA. I wanted to visit this exhibit because in the next few years, possibly as soon as 2011, the hundreds of paintings collected by Albert Barnes, who died in 1951, will move from the gallery at his former home in the suburbs to a new building in the city center.

The foundation was established in 1922 to “promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.” Barnes’ success flourished with the invention of a new antiseptic silver compound, Argyrol, which formed the basis of his fortune. In 1912 he started his art collection by giving about $20K to William Glackens, a friend from high school, who in turn went to Paris to purchase works from Matisse, Picasso, Van Gogh, and Monet.

He now houses the most extravagant collection of Impressionist art from around the world, to be exact: 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes and seven van Goghs. Modigliani, Seurat, Cezanne, and El Greco are just a few to name that cover the walls from ceiling to floor. What was so interesting is the combination of folk art, sculpture, paintings, and furniture that Barnes has situated precisely in each room. Since the museum was attached to the art academy Barnes made sure to mismatch the art so students could study and compare art from the various artists.

In my opinion the collection was very egotistical. For example, the way Barnes siutated the iron works, the detail of the furniture, linking to the colors of the paints, made it feel more about “his museum” then the “artist.”  Despite the collectors motivs I definetly recommend taking the opportunity to see the exhibit before it leaves the charming estate and is open to the masses.

This mural was a commissioned piece by Henri Matisse, his largest work ever created.