May 2013: The new Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia

The highlight of the new Barnes Foundation on downtown Philadelphia's museum row is the building itself, a gorgeous, modern structure with beautifully landscaped surroundings. Seriously, my iPhone pics look more like architectural renderings than real photographs. In addition, our lunch at the museum's restaurant was delish and worthy on its own!

 

There's no doubt that Albert Barnes would be rolling in his grave to know that his prized art collection (accumulated over his lifetime and now valued at $25 billion!) had been moved out of his mansion in the Philadelphia suburb of Merion since his will strictly forbid it. But, at least it has been given its due, in terms of the beautiful, world-class museum in which it is now housed. Plus, the interior of the museum is an exact replica of his house, so much so that if you've seen the collection in Merion, there's really no reason to visit it again other than to see the new digs. The art in every room has been laid out precisely as Barnes had, right down to the small, metal ornaments adorning the walls.

Given the fact that the second floor of the Barnes Foundation had already been shuttered for the anticipated move when I visited it in Merion, this second trip was required viewing since I finally got to see Henri Matisse's The Joy Of Life in person. A Fauvist masterpiece that Barnes and the Foundation only allowed to be reproduced in black and white until relatively recently, the large-scale canvas's vibrant, crazy color is still shocking, though unfortunately not as much as when it was first exhibited. The yellow pigment used has proven unstable and has largely faded to white. The color remaining though is still preferable to the black and white slides I had to view in my art history classes. If you've never seen the collection, then the new Barnes Foundation is a must-see!!!