Barnes Foundation

The Barnes Foundation is an educational art institution founded in 1922 by Dr. Albert C. Barnes, whose fortune came from Argyrol, an antiseptic he helped develop. Its original home is in Merion, on the outskirts of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while since 2012 the collection has also been displayed in a newer gallery in central Philadelphia. Barnes conceived the place as a school rather than a museum, shaped by the philosopher John Dewey, and his trust set strict conditions: public access was limited, and loans and temporary exhibitions were forbidden. The holdings are largely Impressionist and early modern, with a remarkable number of works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne and Henri Matisse, alongside pieces by Vincent van Gogh, Georges Seurat and Amedeo Modigliani. There are also older works, including by Francisco de Goya, and African art. Among the paintings listed on this site are Georges Seurat's The Models, Cézanne's Mont Sainte-Victoire seen from Bellevue, Modigliani's Jeanne Hébuterne, and Henri Rousseau's Past and Present, Rousseau being one of the most represented artists in the catalogue. During the financial crisis of the 1990s the foundation moved toward a more commercial and publicised management, which meant relocating the gallery to central Philadelphia. This clashed with Barnes's will and led to years of legal disputes before the new building opened in 2012, with rooms that try to recreate the original arrangement.