Explore! Trip to The Barnes Foundation

(Photo: my own, taken of Matisse's The Dance)

I took advantage of this gloomy Friday to finish my extra credit assignment at The Barnes Foundation. It was my first time at visiting, and I was impressed with both the art collection and the interaction of the space with nature and natural elements. Here's more from my Explore! assignment.

On The Barnes Foundation space:

The Barnes Foundation celebrates both art and horticulture, a fact that’s clear very early in the visit. Some of the most prominent features include wading pools at the entrance, lots of natural elements, and even indoor-outdoor nooks to sit. 

In terms of the art collection, pieces are displayed as if you’re interacting with someone’s personal, private art collection. The paintings were mostly clustered and there were no info tags to be found on the walls. Instead, booklets featuring the paintings and information were offered in every room. I liked this approach, as it placed greater emphasis on actually looking at the pieces and learning more when desired, rather than getting distracted by the cards on the wall.

My favorite piece from the trip (Matisse is my favorite artist):

Henri Matisse. The Red Couch, between December 1919 and May 1920.

While it was my first time seeing The Red Couch, this piece was quite reminiscent of the pieces that made me love Matisse. I’ve always loved his nudes; again, Matisse pieces lack a certain visual depth but still somehow convey a certain vulnerability in its subjects. The color composition of greens and reds is complimentary and warm. This was one of my favorite pieces from the visit.