Not Your Traditional Art Museum: How the Barnes Foundation Helps You Look at Art in a Whole New Way

As any of its guides will emphatically explain, the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia is NOT a traditional art museum, and I could see why when I entered the main gallery. Instead of paintings in a straight line at eye level, the foundation’s masterpieces hang in groupings collector Albert C. Barnes called “ensembles.” No placards identify the paintings or name their artists, predominantly Renoir, Cézanne, Matisse, and other late 19^th and early 20^th century greats. Additionally, ornate metal work surrounds them, and at ground level, trunks and other furnishings complement the paintings above.

To me, it looked like a hodgepodge at first. Then, patterns began to emerge: the same color repeated in the ensemble’s paintings, the shape of a door hinge mimicking the curve of a woman’s back, a chair against the wall mirroring the one in the Renoir painting above it. Something clicked as I compared and contrasted the elements of the ensemble, and I spent much more time immersed in the art in front me than I normally would.

That was Barnes’s intention. As an early 20^th century progressive, he hoped to turn viewers of his massive art collection into critical thinkers, who could then use those critical thinking skills to become better citizens of the democracy in which they lived. I’m not sure whether my visit to the Barnes Foundation made me a better citizen, but it opened my eyes to seeing the world in a whole new way.

Doctor and Art Collector

Born to a working-class family in Philadelphia in 1872, Barnes earned his medical degree when he was 20. Nine years later, he co-invented the silver based antiseptic Argyrol with Hermann Hille. Their partnership was short-lived. In 1907, Barnes bought Hille out and founded the A. C. Barnes Company in Philadelphia. He quickly amassed a fortune and began collecting art.

In 1912, Barnes sent high school classmate and painter William Glackens to Europe to purchase modern art. Martha Lucy, deputy director for research, interpretation, and education at the Barnes Foundation, points out that at that time, modern art would have included works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, and Pablo Picasso.

“You have to keep in mind that when he was collecting modern art, he was really going against the grain,” she says. “Those artists were being ridiculed.” Most people at the time, even art collectors and critics, didn’t understand what these artists were trying to convey, but Barnes gravitated towards new creative expression whether in art, music or other mediums.

Today, the Barnes Foundation boasts 181 works by Renoir, the largest collection of the artist in the world, and 69 by Cézanne, also the world’s largest collection. In addition to modern art, Barnes collected works that ranged from paintings by the Old Masters to early American furniture and Native American crafts. He was an early collector of African sculpture as well.

Following John Dewey’s Lead

Art wasn’t Barnes’s only interest; he also read philosophy, including the works of educational reformer John Dewey. Dewey believed not only that everyone deserved an education, including people in marginalized groups, but also that an educated citizenry was essential in a democracy. He also championed the idea that education was a lifelong endeavor and didn’t end at graduation.

Inspired by Dewey, Barnes arranged production in his pharmaceutical factory so his workers — mostly women and African American men — could spend two hours every day reading and discussing books on philosophy, psychology, and aesthetics. Lucy says instruction included discussing the up to 100 paintings from Barnes collection hung throughout the factory.

To continue his own education, Barnes enrolled in a post-graduate philosophy seminar taught by Dewey at Columbia University in 1917, and the two became friends. It was Dewey who suggested Barnes create a foundation (not a museum) where people could view his paintings and learn about art.

Lucy says that by establishing the Barnes Foundation, he was pushing back against “the elitism of museums at the time.” In the early 20^th century, art was a sign of cultural status. Many artists relied on patronage from wealthy donors to make a living, and museums expected visitors to have some technical understanding of art. Barnes and Dewey disagreed. They felt that anyone should be able to appreciate and enjoy art.

The Barnes Method

Having access to great works of art and appreciating them are two different things, Barnes realized early in his collecting. When Glackens returned from Europe in 1912 with 30 paintings, Barnes knew that he liked them but didn’t know what made them great works of art. He questioned Glackens and took a scientific approach to analyzing the paintings. Over time, with later help from Dewey, Barnes developed the Barnes Method for analyzing art.

William Perthes, director of adult education at the Barnes Foundation, says the Barnes Method first gives viewers a vocabulary to discuss art by introducing formal qualities such as color, light, line, and space. Then, it asks viewers to make observations and draw conclusions based on those observations to evaluate the painting. For example, viewers might note the colors used, look for patterns, or determine whether lines are distinct or ethereal. They might describe the painting using concepts like vibrant or monumental.

These observations give viewers the framework to compare and contrast two similar paintings such as Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire and Renoir’s Montagne Sainte-Victoire. Both depict the same mountain in Southern France, but while the Renoir features two laborers in the foreground and a softer, less prominent mountain in the background, the Cezanne has geometric shapes and distinct brushstrokes. By using the Barnes Method, viewers can put words to these differences and begin to understand what the artist is trying to convey.

Discussing What You See

For Barnes, the process didn’t end there. After he drew conclusions about a painting, he verified

those conclusions by discussing them with others. Perthes says this is an integral part of the Barnes Method.

“It’s a very conversational process,” he explains. “You draw your own conclusions, but then, you talk to others.”

He adds discussion is important because someone might notice a detail you missed or point out something you may have misinterpreted. By talking to others, you get a richer, more complete understanding of the work and strengthen your critical thinking muscles.

Art also unites us since artists are human beings who, even though they may have lived hundreds of years ago, lived through similar experiences, according to Perthes. Their works convey feelings we’ve all had such as love, happiness, fear, and despair. By viewing art and discussing it with others, we have a shared experience with the artist and each other.

Spending Time with Art

The Barnes Method encourages viewers to slow down and really focus on art. As I walked through the galleries with a guide, she noted that, at other museums, people usually spend more time reading the plaque next to the painting than actually looking at the work of art. Guilty as charged.

As I explored the Barnes Foundation further on my own, I returned to my favorite paintings and gave them my full attention. I drew in close to examine the brush strokes; I stepped back compare it to adjacent paintings. It was almost a mediative experience, a welcome reprieve from a fast-paced life filled with never-ending notifications.

Lucy says my reaction is not uncommon. Visitors often share how the Barnes Foundation had an impact on them beyond their time there. It’s not only influenced how they view art in other museums but how they view the world around them.

“The Barnes Method really changes the way you engage perceptionally with the world,” she elaborates. “It makes you more aware. You start looking at things more visually.”

Learning and Applying

You can experience the Barnes Method in person on a guided tour of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. The foundation offers several daily tours, including a Highlights Tour that introduces first-time visitors to the Barnes Method and some of the collection’s most famous works.

However, Lucy recommends taking the online class, “The Art of Looking: An Introduction to the Barnes Method” for a deeper understanding of the method’s concepts. Co-taught by Perthes and senior instructor Kaelin Jewell, the introductory class is one of several available on the foundation’s website and costs $100.

Perthes says the classes teaches you how to have a visual experience, process it, and share it with others. However, they help develop the ability to share complex ideas and see connections you wouldn’t otherwise see. In other words, it teaches critical thinking.

Which brings the Barnes Method full circle. Barnes wanted to open the world of art to working-class families, like the one he grew up in. But his goal was also to make them critical thinkers and, by extension, better citizens.

Time will tell if I’m a better citizen thanks to the Barnes Method. At the very least, it has inspired me to hit pause and really think about what I’m seeing, reading or experiencing, and that’s something we can all use a little more of.