The Barnes Foundation

Visiting the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia was the main reason for my recent travels. It was such a blessing that my sister Kathy was interested in going. She said she'd love to go with me and I arranged our trip. Kathy lives in CT where we grew up. I flew to CT and we took a train to Philadelphia.

The Barnes Foundation was founded by Dr. Albert Barnes. He was a Philadelphia art collector and a High School friend of the artist William Glackens, my great Uncle. Read more about Glackens on my website.

In 1912, Dr. Barnes asked Glackens to shop for paintings to add to his growing collection. Glackens traveled to Europe and brought back 33 paintings, 11 of which are still in the collection. The artists included Renoir, Bonnard, Cézanne, Matisse, Van Gogh and Picasso. When Kathy & I toured the Barnes yesterday there were 181 Renoir paintings there! The Barnes has an incredible collection, but 181 Renoirs was mind boggling (and incredibly beautiful).

The way paintings are displayed at the Barnes is like no other museum I have seen before.  Dr Barnes grouped them in what he called "ensembles". This would NOT be one period or artist. Instead, he grouped paintings that had a relationship to each other in some way. It was so interesting. I learned that Dr Barnes believed that art appreciation would make us all better citizens.

There were many paintings and drawings by my great Uncle William Glackens that I'd never seen before. Also, a number of small paintings by his wife, Edith Dimock Glackens, my Grandfather's sister. A real treat for me was seeing a drawing by Lenna Glackens!!

The train is almost to my sister's home. Oh, what a lovely time we've shared. Tomorrow: I'll fly back to Florida, to reunite with my husband Steve & our pets Asia, Chloe, Lightning & Luna.