The Traditions of Art

About the Class

Artists do not create in isolation. Throughout history, painters and sculptors have learned by studying earlier works, adapting visual conventions, and responding to the changing world around them. Held in the Barnes galleries, this foundational course explores the evolution of artistic traditions and how modern artists transformed them in unexpected ways.

Through close looking and discussion, participants will examine major developments in Western European art and explore how artists borrow, revise, and challenge visual conventions across generations. Together, we’ll look at the relationships between form, composition, color, symbolism, and subject matter while tracing broader shifts in artistic thinking from ancient, medieval, and Renaissance traditions to 19th- and 20th-century modernism.

Grounded in the Barnes Method, the course helps participants sharpen their observational skills and build confidence engaging with art through dialogue, curiosity, and sustained looking.

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

Capacity: 18

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.

See all classes.

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