Take a Class
Study art history at the Barnes, a leader in art education since 1925. Come learn in our galleries, or take classes online using our immersive, state-of-the-art platform that brings you closer to the work than ever before.
These traditional courses, derived from the teachings of Albert Barnes and Violette de Mazia, focus on 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 Barnes.
The Art of Light
Discover how light shapes meaning in this self-paced online course. Explore its role in composition, mood, and symbolism through guided close looking.
Close-Looking Immersion: Demuth’s Piano Mover’s Holiday
Using a meditative approach, this hour-long session offers an in-depth look at Demuth’s precise technique. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
The Language of Painting
Discover how artists use color, light, line, and space in this one‑day, on‑site workshop. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Close-Looking Immersion: Vieira da Silva’s The Domestic Symphony
Using a meditative approach, this hour-long session offers an in-depth look at Vieira da Silva’s masterful composition. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Collection Concentration: Searching for Paradise: Arcadian Landscapes from Antiquity to the Modern World
Explore how artists reimagined Arcadia through landscape, color, and form in key works from the Barnes collection. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
The Traditions of Art
Study the evolution of artistic traditions through close looking in the Barnes galleries. Instructor: William Perthes
The Elements of Art
Discover the visual language of art through close looking and discussion centered on works from the Barnes collection. Instructor: William Perthes
The Traditions of Art
Learn how modern artists adapted earlier traditions and developed new visual languages. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire
Discover hidden details in this hour devoted to observing and discussing Cézanne’s Mont Sainte-Victoire. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Close-Looking Immersion: Glackens’s Beach at Dieppe
Spend an hour closely observing Glackens’s Beach at Dieppe through guided discussion and immersive digital viewing. Instructor: William Perthes
Close-Looking Immersion: Matisse’s Still Life with Gourds
Spend an hour closely observing Matisse’s Still Life with Gourds through guided discussion and immersive digital viewing. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Barnes Curious? Let’s Talk about Renoir
Join us in the collection galleries for a short close-looking and discussion session on Renoir. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Young Man and Skull
Take a deep dive into Cézanne’s painting using the Barnes Method. Instructor: William Perthes
The Art of Display: Exploring the Barnes Ensembles
Uncover connections hidden in plain sight by studying Dr. Barnes’s enigmatic displays of art at your own pace.
The Art of Color
Explore how artists use color to shape meaning, emotion, and structure in this self-paced class.
The Art of Looking: An Introduction to the Barnes Method
This interactive online course will teach you the basics of the Barnes Method of studying art, at your own pace.