Circle of Friends
William Glackens
(1870 - 1938)
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Albert Barnes and American artist William Glackens were schoolmates at Philadelphia's Central High
during the 1880s. After re-establishing their friendship in 1911, the
two often visited art museums and artists' studios together. In 1912, Glackens went
to Paris and bought about twenty Modern paintings for Barnes, including Picasso's Woman
with a Cigarette. Later that year, Barnes himself went on buying trips to Paris, quickly earning
a reputation for his tough bargaining style. Glackens was a member
of The Eight, a group of realist painters committed to the advancement of
Modernism in the U.S.
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On a Paris buying trip in 1912, Barnes met the writer Gertrude Stein and her brother,
Leo, two transplanted Americans whose apartment was a meeting place for prominent
artists, writers, and intellectuals. Barnes purchased two Matisse paintings from
the Steins. He also began a lifelong friendship with Leo, who had studied under
philosopher William James and who shared Barnes' interest in psychology and art,
especially the paintings of Renoir.
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Gertrude Stein
(1874 - 1946)
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John Dewey
(1859 - 1952)
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Barnes, a scientist, sought a "scientific" method of evaluating art, and he outlined his approach
in his 1915 article, "How to Judge a Painting." Barnes was greatly influenced by the philosopher and
educational reformer John Dewey, who was a champion of the scientific method. Barnes befriended
Dewey while taking his seminar at Columbia University in 1917, and the two remained
life-long friends. When the Foundation opened in 1925, Dewey spoke at the dedication ceremony.
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When Henri Matisse was in New York as a jury member for the 1930 Carnegie
International Exposition, he requested a visit to the Barnes Foundation
to see his works alongside those of Cézanne and Renoir, the modern
artists he most admired. Barnes believed that Matisse was the greatest
living artist, and welcomed him to the Foundation. He used this opportunity
to commission Matisse to paint a mural for the lunettes above the windows
in the Main Gallery.
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Henri Matisse
(1869 - 1954)
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In November of 1936, Barnes finally persuaded Ambroise Vollard, the
famous French art dealer, to come to America. In a series of radio
speeches, Barnes hailed Vollard's vision and "courage" in promoting
such artists as Cézanne, Renoir, Degas, Gauguin, and Picasso. Vollard,
in turn, claimed to be "under the spell of the Barnes Foundation,"
praising it as the best collection of works by the 19th century's
greatest artists, Cézanne and Renoir.
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Ambroise Vollard
(1866 - 1939)
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The Barnes Foundation
300 North Latch's Lane
Merion, PA 19066-1729
610.667.0290
info@barnesfoundation.org
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