Good-bye to the Barnes

The Barnes Foundation in Merion, Pa closed at the end of June. The collection will be relocated to a new museum near the Phildaelphia Art Museum in downtown. The move was heavily debated as described in the movie The Art of the Steal. It is a shame IMO to see the original location and collection of Albert Barnes move to a more "accessible" location. It is counter to what he had intended. Barnes was a scientist, innovator, art lover and collector. He lived at the same time as the birth of the Impressionists and sought to educate the world about the value of the new movement in art. He was scorned as an outsider and retreated to a world where he could espouse his own thoughts and beliefs about the art. His world was the Barnes. The use of wall ensembles to tie together different works of art with African sculpture, furniture, and architectural elements is brilliant. In his book, The Art of Painting, Barnes lays down his scientific approach to understanding art. Its a struggle to read, but gives you some insight into the ensemble approach. On a recent vacation to Paris, we visited the Orangerie to see an exhibit of the collection of Paul Guillaume. He was the dealer in Paris Barnes worked with to secure many of his pieces. Guillaume was influenced by the Barnes approach to art collection and himself had a "wall ensemble" in his home. Barnes was not appreciated in his time. As the collection and approach to art appreciation become more public in the new museum, we can only hope that his true genius will be seen.