Hubby had last Sunday off so we made a day of it.... a big breakfast at a local diner, a drive to Philadelphia, a leisurely stroll thru a wonderful art gallery, lunch at a nearby bar and grill and then back to the gallery to view the treasures on their second floor.
Since they don't allow photography inside most of The Barnes Foundation, I was only able to get some outside shots. It's a lovely space right on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia. If you live near enough to visit, I wholeheartedly encourage you to do it! If not, and you will be in the area for business or vacation, fit a few hours in to see this magnificent collection. You won't be disappointed. We certainly weren't! Hey, I'm no art snob. I know what I know about a few artists and that's it. I can say that I especially like Renoir's work. Not all, I can do without painted bowls of fruit thank.you.very.much. And even though Impressionism is subtle, blurry even, and I tend to probably like more realistic stuff (see, an art snob would never use the word 'stuff'), I have always felt that Renoir was my favorite. And at The Barnes.... color me happy, there are 181 paintings of his there. Heaven! Thank goodness Soutine wasn't a heavily featured artist. Flayed rabbits, distorted bodies, weird landscapes. Maybe about 20 paintings of his in all. Too many for my liking. Ha! Oh, but I guess his work did something for me .... made me appreciate other artists more!
In addition to paintings by Matisse, Cezanne, Modigliani, Rousseau, Picasso, Glackens and many more, were other interesting objects... cabinets, sculptures, metalworks, textiles, manuscripts, jewelry, pottery, etc. We had a very good time.
On our way back home...
Have a nice weekend!
Mary, this is just too ironic because two days ago I walked over to the Barnes Foundation because my brother told me that he had read something online about how wonderful it was. And you also mentioned something about it in one of your posts or comments. So I decided to take a look.
ReplyDeleteI didn't go inside but I took a bunch of photos of the exterior, so it was so wonderful to see YOUR photos of some of the things I also took photos of. How cool is that?? The exterior of that building is wonderful, isn't it?
And your photographs are just stunning! I especially love the ones of the fountain around the museum. And I also love the last few, where you used various effects. AWESOME!
One of these days, perhaps when my brother comes to Philly for a visit, I will actually go inside.
Thanks so much for sharing your day. And yes, it sounds and looks like you had a most EXCELLENT day!
Enjoy your weekend. I hear it's going to be a gorgeous one!
X
Sounds like a wonderful day out. My favourite artist is Monet. It is on my 'to do' list to visit his garden. :)
ReplyDelete'Oh, but I guess his work did something for me .... made me appreciate other artists more!'
ReplyDeleteLoved your remark about Soutine. I haven't seen his work and from your description I don't want to.
The photographs prove what a lovely place the Barnes Foundation is.
I'm not an art snob either. My favorite painting is "the one Cameron stares at in Ferris Bueller's Day Off" whatever it's called, by whoever it's by. I think it's lovely.
ReplyDeleteDays off with the hubby are the best.
Sounds like you truly did have a wonderful day with good memories. I think I'll Google Renoir and take a look at some of his work.
ReplyDeleteRon, if you think you might like to go when your brother visits you'll probably have to reserve the day/time. They have a very limited number of walk ups available. We paid more than double the regular price for premium tickets (I guess that allowed us to leave, go for lunch and come back later) because that was all they had that morning and Ron really wanted to go in. He gets so few days off in the summer and we were already there so he just paid the extra $. Now, I think the first Sunday of each month is FREE admission day... however, the guard told us that the lines get seriously long and you could wait hours to get in. During summertime especially.
ReplyDeleteAkelamalu, my hubby likes him too. There was a portrait at the Barnes... 'Madame Monet Embroidering' that he especially liked. I asked him if he wanted to buy one of the smaller prints for sale in the gift shop but he said no.
I have the book 'Claude and Camille'. Picked it up on the discount cart at B&N and will hopefully start reading it soon.
Valerie, thank you. I so wanted to take photographs inside. At the main art museum in Philadelphia, you can. Well, as long as you are considerate of other patrons. And, of course, you can't use a flash. I guess the Barnes being a private collection they have more rules. For instance, I wasn't allowed to wear my coat into the galleries. It wasn't a big bulky coat, more like a lightweight quilted one, but they said no. Only sweaters, blazers and hoodies because they are thinner I guess.
Heartinhand, I had to look it up, but it's 'A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte', one of Seurat's most famous works and an example of pointillism. Hey, I just learned something new, thank you! :)
Lorna, we live close enough to Philadelphia that it's an easy day trip for us. Thrilled that the collection is in a more accessible location, it used to be elsewhere in PA. If given the chance, we will go again someday.
ReplyDeleteI like a lot of Renoir's work, my favorite probably being a painting at the Art Museum in Philadelphia .. 'The Large Bathers'. Beautiful! And one at Barnes, 'Washerwoman and Child', Ron and I both liked. The eyes of the child draw you right in. :)
I love a good art museum. The outdoor pictures are beautiful. Isn't spring grand?
ReplyDeleteCarpe diem! Great way to take hold of the day and do something fun and enlightening, especially when the both of you have time to spend together! Seems that life often interferes with our personal time, which is a shame. Karin and I often fight that same battle :-(
ReplyDeleteGreat pics, too!
Bijoux, living near Philly is so fun for day trips. We've been many times and will continue to go ... seeing new things and revisiting some of our old favorites. The museums are especially cool.
ReplyDeleteSpring IS grand! Well, minus the allergies that so many have now. :(
HT, Hubby doesn't always get a lot of whole days off, he works full time and does some side gigs too, so we sure took advantage of a nice day. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks, there are always a lot of cool things to photograph in Philly!
Thanks for the reminder that the Barnes is a place I intend to visit when time permits. I'm sure it would be well worth a day trip. Nice photos.
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Great photos! I haven't been to Philly in a long time, so the next time I visit i'll be sure to check out The Barnes Foundation!
ReplyDeleteR.J., thank you. When you're ready to plan the day trip make a reservation! They only allow a certain number of people in the galleries at one time. Walk-ins are limited too. Premier tickets are probably available at the door, but they are more expensive.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rob! There is so much to see and do in Philly. I mentioned in other comments, but worth repeating... if you decide to make the trip to the area and want to visit the Barnes especially, make a reservation! I don't know how many walk-ins they take each day or even how many reservations but it's worth booking in advance to avoid being turned away ... or having to pay for a premier ticket.
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