Barnes Foundation

We were fortunate to be able to stop at the Barnes Foundation in Merion, PA (just outside of Philadelphia) to see the world famous collection of the late Dr. Albert C. Barnes. It is billed as the finest collection of French Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and early Modern paintings in the world. I believe it! It contains no less than 181 masterpieces of Renoir, 69 works by Cezanne and 59 works by Henri Matisse; just to mention three of the artists. It is said that the Foundation includes more works by these three artists than in all the museums in Paris! Total works of art in the Foundation is about 2500 of which over 800 are paintings.

Many of you may know of the Barnes Foundation though the much publicized documentary film called “The Art of the Steal” that was released earlier this year. If you don’t know about it and your are interested in art please go to my references and check it out. Briefly, it is a story about an estimated $25 Billion of world-class art moved, some will say “stolen”, from the little community of Merion, PA to the big city of Philadelphia, even against the wishes of the founder as stated in his trust agreement. A lot of money is involved in this true story!

The Foundation in Merion will closed mid year 2011 to be moved to “museum row” on Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. The new location will not open in Philadelphia until sometime in 2012. The building is already being constructed.

I will not come down on either side of this argument, although it is difficult to understand how the Trustees of the Foundation could possibly have squandered the large endowment fund, over $10 million in 1950's dollars, that was established in the trust agreement by Dr. Barnes and be in a position where the Foundation was pretty close to bankruptcy in the early 1990's.

However, to be sure, it will definitely be easier to view the Collection when it is in Philadelphia and of course many more thousands of people will see this priceless collection of art. Getting into the Barnes today is like checking into a secured government location, read CIA!

Also Check out the philly.com site for more information about the move and an architect’s rendering of the building as well as some history of the Barnes.

Entrance to the Foundation; as you can see access is somewhat limited. Each person should have advance reservations, however, if there be space available, walk-in's may be admitted. The Foundation is located in a residential area and easily missed; the entrance isn't marked very well and in fact we drove past it.

The art galley of the Foundation. I should note that the original purpose of the Foundation was and education center and not a museum.

Dr. Barnes residence adjoining the Foundation's art galley.

Imaged taken from a post card purchased at the Foundation. Image copyright protected.

Imaged taken from a post card purchased at the Foundation. These two post cards gives a good example as to how the art work is displayed. Each of the ninety-six walls were designed by Dr. Barnes and it is done in a way for him and the Foundation to teach art. Image copyright protected.

National Gallery of Art - DC (NGA)

By Now, all of my readers, six I think, know that Jenny and I are avid museum goers. We have been to so many museums in Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, South and North America that I cannot count them. My son, Robby, one day asked how did I become to enjoy art so much and especially going to museums. I had to think on that one for a while!

I don’t remember anything special happening in my childhood that would have piqued my interest in art, so I have to fast forward to when Robby was about ten; we use to visit the Greenville County Museum of Art and I fell in love with Andrew Wyeth’s paintings and have been of fan of Wyeth and the art world ever since. I Also learned a lot from Chester, my brother-in-law, who talked about the many museums he and my sister Joan visited. He told me about many of the smaller museums in the US that he would visit when he was on a business trip. I now think that before he left to visit customers, he would find out what museums were in the area. I will always be thankful for his sharing his love for art with me.

Today I want to write about our recent visit of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC; I have to say DC because as many of you know there is a great National Gallery in London, which Jenny and I were privilege to visit in 2006, along with the Tate Modern and Tate Britain.

This was our second visit to the National Gallery in DC; we were there about ten years ago and of course we had to go again, especially because of the current exhibition; From Impressionism to Modernism; The Chester Dale Collection. This exhibition presents eighty-three paintings of some of the finest paintings from this era. It also was the first time this Exhibition was shown in over forty-five year.

Dale made his money on Wall Street and in 1962 shared his love for art with the Nation by donating his portfolio to NGA. If you want to see it, you must go to DC because it does not travel.

Just one of the pictures of Jenny and the "Gardens" inside the West Building.

The East Building, designed by I. M. Pei and opened in 1978.

Andrew Wyeth, American, 1917-2009, Wind From The Sea, 1947. The painting was painted in the Olsen House attic in Maine. You can almost feel the wind can't you? This is one of two paintings in the NGA; there are also about fifteen watercolors, prints and drawings in the collection.

Just a note; we took many pictures of the exhibition and the collection because we were told, for the first time ever, that you could take pictures, even with a flash. As many of you know most museums do not allow you to take pictures and NEVER with a flash. Interesting!

Munson Williams and Proctor Museum - Utica, NY

The front entrance to the Museum

Inside the Museum; there are galleries around the outside. This open area is unique, but it seems like a lot of wasted space!

One of the galleries; this one happens to show two of the Voyage of Life paintings by Thomas Cole

Jenny standing in front of Number 2, 1949 by Jackson Pollack.

This is Fountain Elms, the home of the families the Museum is named and also contained the decorative collection of the Museum

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On August 18th after we left the Arkell Museum in Canajoharie, we went to Utica, about a half hour west, to the Munson, Williams & Proctor Museum (MWP), which is much larger than the Arkell Museum with about 25,000 art works. MWP also has an art school, performing arts and Pratt/MWP art school, which by its name has an association with the famous Pratt Art Institute Brooklyn Campus.

The highlight of this museum is its many works by the Hudson River Art School, which I am a very big fan. The the four paintings entitled, Voyage of Life, by Thomas Cole was the most interesting to me. I’m not going into the history of this famous work, but suffice it to say that their are two sets of, Voyage of Life; the original just happens to be in MWP, while the copy is in the National Galley of Arts, Washington, DC. If you want to know the amazing history of this painting (set of four), go to Voyage of Life Chronology written by Dr. Paul D. Schweizer, Chief Curator of the MWP Museum.

So if you like American artists: Thomas Cole, William M. Chase, Frederic E. Church, William Harnett, Winslow Homer and many others do plan to make a trip to MWP.

Arkell Museum - Canajoharie, NY

Before one start some serious review of art, he must have a good breakfast. As you can see from the photo above, this is a serious breakfast: country ham, eggs, grits (for you not so informed grits is a thick corn porridge), fried apples, gravy, apple butter and of course biscuits (also for you Hong Kongers this biscuits is bread not a cookie!)

Arkell Museum is in the town of Canajoharie, NY which is situated on the old Erie Canal and now the Mohawk River. It has a population of about 3000 people and is the home of Beech-Nut Corporation. Today after going through many mergers the company only makes Baby Food products. Anyway the Arkell Family who started a company that became Beech-Nut was into art big-time. The family eventually gave over 300 works to start a Museum that was named after the Founder Mr. Bartlett Arkell.

The Hyde Collection - Glens Falls, NY

The Hyde Collection, founded in 1952 by Mrs Charlotte Hyde, is located in Glens Falls, NY. It is a jewel that must be seen to believe; it is difficult to believe that such a great museum can be located in a small town.

The Hyde Collections has a large number of Old Masters including: Rubens, Rembrandt, Tintoretto, El Greco, Degas and many, many more. Also American painters are well represented: Whistler, Hassam, Homer, Peto and of course many more. And if you are going to be within five hundred miles of Glens Falls between July 12th and October 12th, you must come to see the Degas & Music Special Exhibition at the Hyde.

Education Building and entrance to the Collection

The Hyde Mansion

The Atrium

Music Room with an El Greco in the back ground

Lobby of the Education Building