The Elements of Art

About the Class

Learning the fundamentals of visual language can transform your experience of art. Using our immersive visual arts platform as a classroom, we’ll explore the building blocks of artistic expression—color, light, line, and space—through conversation and analysis of works in the Barnes collection.

Grounded in the Barnes Method, this course encourages participants to slow down, sharpen their observational skills, and engage with art as an active process of discovery. Whether you are new to the world of art or looking to deepen your understanding of its many facets, this course offers an accessible introduction to visual language.

Educators in Pennsylvania can receive 75 Act 48 credits for The Elements of Art.

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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Barnes Method

Barnes Method courses follow the teachings of 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 Students Are Saying

“Joe Tokumasu Field was a wonderful instructor. He’s patient, caring, and skilled at interacting with students’ questions and comments.” —The Japanese American Century with Joseph Tokumasu Field

“This was an exciting course with fascinating and informative lectures and well-chosen pictures. Franits is a brilliant teacher.” —17th-Century Dutch Art’s “Holy Trinity”: Hals, Rembrandt, and Vermeer with Wayne Franits

“The instructor was outstanding in every way—an expert in the subject, enthusiastic about the material, solicitous and supportive of students’ observations, and brilliant in expanding our discussion as warranted. The best Barnes instructor I’ve had, by far.” —The Nabis: Late 19th-Century Prophets of the New with Larissa Bailiff

“I enjoyed the course very much and liked how each week focused on a different topic relevant to the subject. Caterina is an engaging speaker, and you can tell she loves what she is teaching. Her enthusiasm and sense of humor come through.” —Famous Heists: Crimes in the History of Art with Caterina Pierre

“I felt at peace afterward and appreciated the art so much more than before.” —Being Present with Art: Cultivating Balance for Spring with Roksana Filipowska