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 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.
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.
Close-Looking Immersion: Renoir’s Bathers in the Forest
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes
The Elements of Art
Learn basic aesthetic principles and discover art’s communicative power by studying works in the Barnes collection. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Collection Concentration: Dawn of Modernism in Europe and the US
Discover how modernism became both a shared language and a deeply personal mode of expression. Instructor: William Perthes
The Traditions of Art
Explore how artists engage with and transform artistic traditions. Instructor: William Perthes
Collection Concentration: Matisse, A Global Perspective
Learn how Matisse pulled from multiple global traditions to create a radical new visual language. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Close-Looking Immersion: Seurat’s Models
Get to know one of the iconic paintings in our collection through extended close looking and guided discussion. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Afternoon with an Ensemble: Room 2
Step into the galleries and slow down with this focused study. Instructor: Deborah Krupp
Close-Looking Immersion: Soutine’s Flayed Rabbit
Spend an hour immersed in one of the most viscerally affecting paintings in our collection. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
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
Pillars of the Collection
Spend the day exploring iconic works in the Barnes collection and the artists that helped shape Dr. Barnes’s vision. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Workshop: Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
Discover how engaging with art can enhance perception, empathy, and communication in healthcare. Instructor: William Perthes
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Portrait of a Woman
Spend an hour with Cézanne’s haunting Portrait of a Woman. Instructor: William Perthes