Ashz
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- Nov 5, 2007
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I know we have a good amount of folks from in and around Philly/Md/De, so I wanted to let everyone know where SWMBO and I went last Saturday. We went to the Barnes Foundation outside Philadelphia,in Lower Merion. Firstly I want to preface this by saying I am not some art snob socialite. Quite the contrary.
A while ago I read a book about art theft and the FBI. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307461475/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 This is actually quite a good book, though not usually the type of thing I read. In it The Barnes was featured as where the FBI agent got his start in art education.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Foundation
I won't go into what the Barnes is or was intended to be. Suffice it to say that this is literally one of the LARGEST, if not THE Largest, art collections of masters in the world. And it was Dr. Barnes private collection. And it's right outside Philadelphia. You can read about all the drama over the Barnes through various places on the web, I won't go into that either. I will say this. Where the art is now, is where and how Barnes wanted people to see the art. Not in some museum where every tom, dick and harry can shuffle past it. This place was meant as a school for art lovers, students, historians, plumbers, mechanics, you name it. The art was hung in a manner to compliment and contrast each other in these complicated ensemble's that to a museum curator may look ghastly and crowded. When looked at as Barnes wanted them to be looked it, they are quite astounding.
So I am rambling. It will not be long before everything is moved to the new installation in downtown Philadelphia. Slated to be finished this year. Now is the time to see these works in the setting they were meant by Barnes to be seen.
This was an experience that was extremely humbling, seeing the works there was a great experience to have. I urge anyone who has even a small amount of appreciation for art to take a trip there before it's all moved. Tickets were 15 bucks, parking is 15 as well, but there is street parking a couple of blocks away. It should be noted that kids are allowed, but they are really strict about staying with parents, as you can imagine. This I think is a great experience for kids though. Where else can you see, Cezanne, Seurat, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, Renoir, all in the same place and in the sheer numbers that are there.
http://www.barnesfoundation.org/
A while ago I read a book about art theft and the FBI. http://www.amazon.com/dp/0307461475/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20 This is actually quite a good book, though not usually the type of thing I read. In it The Barnes was featured as where the FBI agent got his start in art education.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnes_Foundation
I won't go into what the Barnes is or was intended to be. Suffice it to say that this is literally one of the LARGEST, if not THE Largest, art collections of masters in the world. And it was Dr. Barnes private collection. And it's right outside Philadelphia. You can read about all the drama over the Barnes through various places on the web, I won't go into that either. I will say this. Where the art is now, is where and how Barnes wanted people to see the art. Not in some museum where every tom, dick and harry can shuffle past it. This place was meant as a school for art lovers, students, historians, plumbers, mechanics, you name it. The art was hung in a manner to compliment and contrast each other in these complicated ensemble's that to a museum curator may look ghastly and crowded. When looked at as Barnes wanted them to be looked it, they are quite astounding.
So I am rambling. It will not be long before everything is moved to the new installation in downtown Philadelphia. Slated to be finished this year. Now is the time to see these works in the setting they were meant by Barnes to be seen.
This was an experience that was extremely humbling, seeing the works there was a great experience to have. I urge anyone who has even a small amount of appreciation for art to take a trip there before it's all moved. Tickets were 15 bucks, parking is 15 as well, but there is street parking a couple of blocks away. It should be noted that kids are allowed, but they are really strict about staying with parents, as you can imagine. This I think is a great experience for kids though. Where else can you see, Cezanne, Seurat, Monet, Picasso, Matisse, Van Gogh, Renoir, all in the same place and in the sheer numbers that are there.
http://www.barnesfoundation.org/
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