Cézanne: The Battle of the Bathers

About the Class

In the decade before his death in 1906, Paul Cézanne famously painted three enormous scenes of bathers that are considered to be the culminating works of his career. One is at the Barnes; the others are at the Philadelphia Art Museum and the National Gallery, London. In this course, we will dive into the interconnected lives of these three iconic works, looking closely at their construction and respective evolutions. Examining critical interpretations on themes like the body, gender, and the unconscious, we will consider why the Barnes work in particular continues to evoke awe, fascination, confusion, and even repulsion.

In the last session, we’ll explore an amusing 90-year-old dispute known as “The Battle of the Bathers.” Albert C. Barnes had acquired his Large Bathers in 1933. When the Philadelphia Art Museum purchased its larger version four years later, the Philadelphia Inquirer called it Cézanne’s “greatest masterpiece,” infuriating Dr. Barnes and prompting his public campaign to prove that his was the superior canvas. Was he right?

The class is online-only. More about online classes.

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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.

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What Our Students Say

“The instructor is a gifted individual who is able to [engage] with all different kinds of learners and motivate us to want to learn more, see more, and experience more. I would highly recommend any course by this instructor.” —Collection Concentration: Medieval Modern with Kaelin Jewell

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