Mondays, November 3 – November 24, 1 – 3pm
Left: Claude Monet. Girl with Dog (detail), 1873. The Barnes Foundation, BF857. Public Domain. Right: Claude Debussy’s handwritten score for L’Après-Midi d’un Faune, September 1894. Courtesy of the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP). Public Domain
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
What the impressionists did in painting, the pioneering French composer Claude Debussy did in music. Debussy turned away from the rule-bound, academic approach to composition and created a new style of music that would inspire generations of composers. He and his followers, like Maurice Ravel, rejected musical structures they deemed rigid in favor of forms that emphasized color, texture, and line. Though Debussy didn’t call himself an impressionist, the parallels between his approach and that of the avant-garde painters were recognized at the time: a friend of Debussy described him as “a pupil of Claude Monet.” And Paul Gauguin wrote, “Color . . . is vibration just as music is.”
Join us as we explore the connections between impressionism in art and music. We will look closely at paintings by Manet, Monet, Renoir, and Degas, and listen to music by Debussy, Ravel, and Fauré through a combination of recordings and live performance by celebrated flutist Mimi Stillman. In addition to plenty of close looking and listening, we will trace the social connections between the artists, composers, and writers of the time to get a sense of the historical context in which they were all working.
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.
Instructor
Mimi Stillman
An acclaimed flutist, Stillman is an internationally recognized solo, chamber, and recording artist who the New York Times has called “not only a consummate and charismatic performer, but also a scholar. Her programs tend to activate ear, heart, and brain.” She is the founding artistic director of the Dolce Suono Ensemble. A graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music with a MA in history from the University of Pennsylvania, she is a published author on music and history, with a focus on late 19th- and early 20th-century French culture.
What Our Students Say
“The instructor was superb. Her level of expertise, along with enthusiasm for the subject, made the class what it was.” Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s “Violin, Sheet Music, and Bottle” with Naina Saligram
“Dr. Boyd’s knowledge, passion, and openness made her an excellent instructor for this course. It was well structured and beautifully taught!” Horace Pippin’s Modernism with Alison Boyd
“Dr. Galvez is a wonderful teacher—knowledgeable, knows how to teach the concepts, gives examples, explains concepts and ways of considering them while looking at a painting. He is open to questions and receives them with patience.” Chromophilia: Modern Art and the Re-Invention of Color with Paul Galvez
“Kaelin Jewell is amazing. She is engaging and super knowledgeable, and she clearly enjoys teaching.” Heaven on Earth: The Art of the Byzantine Empire with Kaelin Jewell
“The best class to understand the elements of art. The instructor’s expertise and warmth, along with the excellent discussions with my classmates, made it a truly wonderful experience.” The Elements of Art with Bill Perthes
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Primitivism and Modern Art
Learn about the concept of primitivism and its enormous role in modern European and American art. Instructor: Alison Boyd
Close-Looking Immersion: Persian Manuscript Rustam Lifts Qanun from His Horse
Immerse yourself in a tiny 16th-century Persian manuscript from the Barnes collection. Instructor: Naina Saligram