Sound and Color: The Sensory World of Monet and Debussy
Wednesday, September 23, 2 – 4pm
Left: Debussy playing the piano, 1983. Unknown photographer. Right: Claude Monet. The Studio Boat (detail), 1876. The Barnes Foundation, BF730
$90; members $81
(2-hour workshop)
About the Class
To commemorate the centennial of Claude Monet’s death, we invite you to reflect on his art and legacy through the prism of music.
In this multisensory workshop held in the Main Gallery at the Barnes, internationally acclaimed flutist Mimi Stillman will perform music related to Monet’s art and life by composers such as Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Erik Satie, and Cécile Chaminade. Stillman will also perform one of her own compositions.
Highlighting masterworks by Monet and other impressionists in the Barnes, we will explore how atmospheric light, movement, and fleeting sensations can be communicated by both the visual and sonic arts.
Capacity: 60
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.
About the Series
Our Sound and Color series revisits Dr. Barnes’s original vision of pairing music with visual art, drawing inspiration from his historical lectures and curated playlists. Using the Main Gallery as both a classroom and a concert hall, each sensory-rich workshop explores how visual and aural elements interact to shape perception, evoke emotions, and create meaning.
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 also writes about music and history, with a focus on late 19th- and early 20th-century French culture.
About the Series
Our Sound and Color series revisits Dr. Albert Barnes’s original vision of pairing music with visual art, drawing from his lectures and curated playlists. Using the Main Gallery as both a classroom and a concert hall, each sensory-rich workshop explores how visual and aural elements interact to shape perception, evoke emotions, and create meaning.
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
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