Barnes Curious? Let’s Talk about Van Gogh

About the Class

Curious about what it feels like to learn inside the Barnes galleries? This on-site series invites participants into the collection for an hour of guided close looking and conversation centered on a single artist or artwork.

In this session, we’ll explore Vincent van Gogh’s The Postman through the Barnes Method, an approach that encourages discovery through observation and conversation. Together, we’ll consider how Van Gogh used color, brushwork, and composition to create this memorable portrait of his friend Joseph Roulin.

Designed for both first-time visitors and longtime learners, this informal class offers an accessible introduction to the Barnes’s distinctive approach to learning through art.

Capacity: 25

Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

See all classes.

Barnes Method

Barnes Method courses follow the teachings of Dr. Albert Barnes and Violette de Mazia. Classes focus on rigorous formal analysis and direct visual engagement with works of art. In this method, close looking at art helps build critical-thinking skills that can be carried beyond the gallery walls.

What Our Students Say

“The instructor was not only knowledgeable but so accessible, and such an inviting presence. She provided great reading to supplement the course.” —Mary Cassatt: Art, Identity, and Independence with Larissa Bailiff

“Pierre brings the art alive with her inside stories and images and how she interacts with the students. She is always able to answer and follow up with more information at the next class.” —Exhibiting Modernism: From the Salon to the Avant-Garde with Caterina Pierre

“Alison Boyd was engaging and effective during the online instruction, and she offered well-selected background materials for further reading.” —Aaron Douglas from Harlem to Philly with Alison Boyd