BARNES FOUNDATION

The Barnes Foundation is one of the most interesting artistic initiatives in the United States. Dr. Barnes, from a worker's environment, was originally born. After making a fortune in the pharmaceutical industry, he devoted his money to his passion for art and created this foundation in 1922, dedicated to "promoting progress in the education and appreciation of fine arts". The 9 000 paintings, mostly impressionistic, are thus gathered in order to allow "the man of the people" to access art.

Today it is the largest collection in the world of Renoir (181 paintings) and Cézanne (69). Visiting the 23 Barnes Foundation rooms is absolutely unique for both art lovers and iconoclastic. It is the most important private collection of Impressionist and post-Impressionist art. Set in 1925 in the Demeure residence, the collection was moved in 2012 in this superb building on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The layout of the paintings remained identical, according to Barnes's wishes, which, in the great displeasure of the specialists, had prepared the works according to his very personal vision of art, without respecting the chronology or the various artistic currents. Still the light of the building is superb.

To see one of William James Glackens's summer paintings, the intriguing Madame Lemaistre de Jean-Baptiste Corot surplombe surplombe the Great swimmers of Paul Cézanne. A whole wall greets the Dance of Henri Matisse leading to Georges S's models. The Provençal landscapes of Cézanne brazenly illuminate the Vision of Saint Hyacinthe of Greco, while his card players dress up in Hall I, while the Sleeping Shepherd of Tiziano parallels several religious works. Renoir, Goya, Van Gogh, Gauguin and Toulouse-Lautrec are fond of the chronology, revealing the visitor of a thousand colours. Edgar Degas's dancers point out their slippers. Sublime and peaceful, the young girl in blue dress of Jules Pascin spreads her Serenity in Gallery XII. What about the works of Klee, Picasso and Modigliani? An endless whirlwind, where art does not suffer conventions. Exciting and indispensable.

On the ground floor, a large hall is held on every first Friday of the month (from 18 am to 22 pm). Orchestra, jazz, world music and even DJ from time to time, don't forget to let you know when you go. The opening of a new wing, Garden Pavilion, is scheduled for the summer of 2017. It will mainly serve as an educational area and will place the Garden Restaurant, closed during the extension work.