Take a Class
Why take an online class at the Barnes?
- Our online classes are conducted live, which means you can engage with your instructor and with fellow students.
- We use state-of-the-art technology that allows you to zoom in closely and see details that can’t be experienced in person—down to the individual brushstroke.
- Topics change continually and are taught by experts from all over the world.
- Can’t attend a live session? Online classes are recorded for access later. Learn more about Barnes classes.
Classes are streamed live via our VXP (visual experience platform).
Gift a Barnes Class
Give the gift of lifelong learning with art history classes taught by Barnes experts.
Matisse and Color
This course examines how Matisse created a new way of using color known as fauvism. Instructor: Michael Williamson
Photography and Painting
Explore how painting was irrevocably changed by the invention of photography. Instructor: Michael Williamson
El Greco: Renaissance Mystic and Modernity’s Vanguardist
Learn how the Renaissance painter was inspired by mysticism and how his work found favor with impressionists and modern artists. Instructor: Sheila Barker
Learning to See
Learn how artists use visual media to communicate their unique experience of the world. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Charles Demuth: The Erotic Watercolors
Examine works by Demuth that explore his identity as an openly gay artist. Instructor: Ty Vanover
Mysticism, Spirituality, and Modern Art
Learn how spiritual ideas and mystical experiences influenced painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Instructor: Roksana Filipowska
The Traditions of Art
Learn how modern artists adapted earlier traditions in developing new visual languages. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
The Art and Architecture of the Islamic World
An introduction to Islamic art and architecture, focusing on key objects and their social and political contexts. Instructor: Emily Neumeier
Horace Pippin’s Modernism
Reexamine Pippin’s art and legacy in the context of the galleries in which he once studied. Instructor: Alison Boyd
The Techniques of Color in Modern Painting
Explore the materials and approaches that made impressionism, post-impressionism, fauvism, and early modernism such groundbreaking movements. Instructor: Al Gury
Post-Impressionism in the Barnes
Learn about the radical generation of artists that emerged from the dissolution of the impressionist group. Instructor: Christa DiMarco
The Impressionists: Friends and Family
This course is a deep dive into the history and activities of the impressionist group and the deep bonds of its members. Instructor: Caterina Y. Pierre
The Bauhaus: Unity of the Arts
Delve into the Bauhaus school and movement and explore how we are still unpacking its remarkable legacy. Instructor: Matthew Palczynski
Art and Splendor in Ancient Rome
Explore the major achievements of the Roman world by looking closely at key examples of architecture, painting, and sculpture. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Art of the Great Migration
Examine important works by African American artists who migrated from south to north after the Reconstruction era. Instructor: Michael Williamson
The French Revolution and the Arts
Study the cultural, social, and visual changes that occurred during and after the French Revolution. Instructor: André Dombrowski
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Ginger Jar
This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. In this session, we’ll examine Cézanne’s Ginger Jar.
Dutch Art in the Time of Rembrandt and Vermeer: A Look at the “Non-Golden Age”
Examine the masters of the Dutch Golden Age while also considering the social and political issues of the time. Instructor: Ashley West
The Classical Tradition in Modern Art
Learn how some modern artists looked to classical myths, artifacts, and ideas for inspiration. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Artists As Cultivators
This course, taught by the curators of the PAFA exhibition, examines how artists use nature to explore issues of American identity. Instructors: Anna O. Marley, Leah Triplett Harrington
Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s Acrobat and Young Harlequin
This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. In this session, we’ll examine Picasso’s Acrobat and Young Harlequin.
Portraiture at the Barnes: From the 15th Century to Modernism
Uncover the wide range of expression that portraits at the Barnes offer. Instructor: Laura L. Watts
The Japanese American Century: Noguchi, Nakashima, and Asawa
Examine the critical contributions Japanese American artists made to the 20th-century art world. Instructor: Joseph Tokumasu Field
Close-Looking Immersion: Matisse’s Red Madras Headdress
This new series of single-session immersions focuses on individual works in the collection. In this session, we’ll examine Matisse’s Red Madras Headdress.
Mary Cassatt at Work
Explore Cassatt's methods, materials, and contributions to modernism with the curators of the PMA exhibition. Instructors: Laurel Garber, Jennifer Thompson.