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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.

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Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s <i>Haere Pape</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s Haere Pape

Wednesday, December 11, 12 – 1:30pm

This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram

Looking and Listening: Picasso and the Art of Composing
On-Site

Looking and Listening: Picasso and the Art of Composing

Monday, December 16, 6 – 8pm

This new series explores the relationship between visual art and music. Today’s session looks at works by Picasso that have been called “visual music.” Instructor: Naina Saligram

Bosch and Bruegel
Online

Bosch and Bruegel

Tuesdays, January 7 – January 28, 2 – 4pm

Explore works by the Netherlandish painters and the connections between their art. Instructor: Larry Silver

Paul Gauguin: His Art and Legacy
Online

Paul Gauguin: His Art and Legacy

Wednesdays, January 8 – January 29, 4 – 6pm

The course delves into Gauguin’s style, subject matter, and problematic legacy. Instructor: Christa DiMarco

Close-Looking Immersion: Van Gogh’s <i>The Postman</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Van Gogh’s The Postman

Wednesday, January 8, 6 – 7:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

Picasso in Focus: New Discoveries at the Barnes
Online

Picasso in Focus: New Discoveries at the Barnes

Thursdays, January 9 – January 30, 6 – 8pm

Learn more about Picasso works in the collection with our conservation and research team. Instructors: Christine Romano, Naina Saligram

Afternoon with an Ensemble: Room 13
On-Site / Barnes Method

Afternoon with an Ensemble: Room 13

Wednesday, January 15, 2 – 4pm

Examine one of Dr. Barnes’s carefully crafted displays of paintings. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

Collection Concentration: Medieval Modern
On-Site / Barnes Method

Collection Concentration: Medieval Modern

Tuesdays, January 21 – April 22, 1 – 4pm

Explore the influence of medieval art on Van Gogh, Matisse, and other modern artists. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

The Traditions of Art
On-Site / Barnes Method

The Traditions of Art

Tuesdays, January 21 – April 22, 6 – 9pm

Learn how modern artists adapted earlier traditions in developing new visual languages. Instructor: William Perthes

The Traditions of Art
Online / Barnes Method

The Traditions of Art

Wednesdays, January 22 – April 23, 6 – 9pm

Learn how modern artists adapted earlier traditions in developing new visual languages. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

The Elements of Art
Online / Barnes Method

The Elements of Art

Thursdays, January 23 – April 24, 1 – 4pm

Learn basic aesthetic principles and discover art’s communicative power by studying works in the Barnes collection. Instructor: William Perthes

Matisse in the Studio
Online

Matisse in the Studio

Thursdays, January 23 – February 13, 3 – 5pm

This course offers a deep dive into Matisse’s creative process. Instructor: Ellen McBreen

Art Crime and the FBI: How Masterpieces Are Stolen and Recovered
Online

Art Crime and the FBI: How Masterpieces Are Stolen and Recovered

Mondays, February 3 – February 24, 12 – 2pm

Join a famous art detective for a look at notorious art heists and daring recovery operations. Instructor: Robert Wittman

Horace Pippin’s Modernism
Online

Horace Pippin’s Modernism

Tuesdays, February 4 – February 25, 6 – 8pm

Reexamine Pippin’s art and legacy in the context of the galleries in which he once studied. Instructor: Alison Boyd

The Modernists of Montparnasse: The Barnes and Beyond
Online

The Modernists of Montparnasse: The Barnes and Beyond

Thursdays, February 6 – February 27, 1 – 3pm

Explore early 20th-century Paris and the circle of artists—including Picasso, Modigliani, De Chirico, and Matisse—who shaped the course of modern art. Instructor: Joseph Tokumasu Field

Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s <i>Still Life with Skull</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Still Life with Skull

Wednesday, February 12, 12 – 1:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes

Errand into the Maze: The Masterpiece and the Ensemble
On-Site

Errand into the Maze: The Masterpiece and the Ensemble

Wednesdays, February 19 – March 12, 2 – 4pm

Consider the connections between works within Barnes ensembles while seeking a deeper understanding of the collection as a whole. Instructor: Rika Burnham

Looking and Listening: The Art of Atmospheric Sound
On-Site

Looking and Listening: The Art of Atmospheric Sound

Monday, February 24, 6 – 8pm

This new series explores the relationship between visual art and sound. Instructor: Roksana Filipowska

The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec
Online

The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec

Thursdays, February 27 – March 20, 6 – 8pm

Explore the gritty underworld of 19th-century Paris through the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Instructor: Martha Lucy

At Bloom in the Barnes: The Painted Garden
On-Site

At Bloom in the Barnes: The Painted Garden

Wednesday, March 5, 10am – 4pm

This workshop includes time in the Barnes galleries and an art-making session focused on gardens and flowers. Instructor: Christine Stoughton

Andrew Wyeth in Context: Art, Place, and Practice
Online

Andrew Wyeth in Context: Art, Place, and Practice

Fridays, March 7 – March 28, 2 – 4pm

Consider the creative legacy of the American artist, with special insights from his granddaughter. Instructors: William L. Coleman, Victoria Browning Wyeth

African Art in the Barnes: Context and Meanings
Online

African Art in the Barnes: Context and Meanings

Mondays, March 10 – March 31, 11am – 1pm

Learn the traditional meanings and uses of the African sculpture collected by Dr. Barnes while considering the impact of colonialism and imperialism. Instructor: Dwaune Latimer

Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s <i>Violin, Sheet Music, and Bottle</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Picasso’s Violin, Sheet Music, and Bottle

Wednesday, March 12, 6 – 7:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram

Contemporary Art and the Canon: Emulation, Pastiche, Parody
Online / Exhibition-Related

Contemporary Art and the Canon: Emulation, Pastiche, Parody

Thursdays, April 3 – April 24, 1 – 3pm

Explore the complex relationship between modern artists and the art of the past. Instructor: Paul Galvez

About Faces: A History of the Art of Portraiture
Online

About Faces: A History of the Art of Portraiture

Tuesdays, April 8 – April 29, 6 – 8pm

Explore the incredible diversity of portraiture in the collection—from Hals to Van Gogh, Matisse, and Renoir. Instructor: Brian Seymour

Close-Looking Immersion: Memling’s <i>Portrait of a Man</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Memling’s Portrait of a Man

Wednesday, April 9, 12 – 1:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes

Preparing for <i>From Paris to Provence</i>
Online / Exhibition-Related

Preparing for From Paris to Provence

Tuesdays, April 22 – May 13, 2 – 4pm

Join us for a behind-the-scenes look at the organization and launch of an exhibition at the Barnes. Instructor: Cindy Kang

The Garden in Impressionism and Post-Impressionism
Online

The Garden in Impressionism and Post-Impressionism

Mondays, April 28 – May 19, 2 – 4pm

Learn how 19th-century French garden design—especially the approach to texture and color theory—influenced the impressionists. Instructors: Andrew Bunting, Martha Lucy

Rendez-vous au Café: Café Culture in 19th-Century Art
Online

Rendez-vous au Café: Café Culture in 19th-Century Art

Wednesdays, April 30 – May 21, 6 – 8pm

Cafés hold a special place in the history of modern art. Learn how and why they inspired some of the most famous paintings of the time. Instructor: Caterina Y. Pierre

The Art of Color: Exploring Palettes from the Renaissance to the Fauves
Online

The Art of Color: Exploring Palettes from the Renaissance to the Fauves

Tuesdays, May 6 – May 27, 6 – 8pm

Journey through the vibrant world of artists’ palettes and learn how evolving materials and color theories shaped European painting over the past 400 years. Instructor: Al Gury

Bars, Brawls, and Backstreets: Art of the Ashcan School
Online

Bars, Brawls, and Backstreets: Art of the Ashcan School

Wednesdays, May 7 – May 28, 1 – 3pm

Examine this uniquely American period of modern art that focused on the shifting urban landscape of the early 20th century. Instructor: William Perthes

Workshop: Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
On-Site / Barnes Method

Workshop: Art, Well-Being, and Medicine

Saturday, May 10, 9 – 11am

Learn how engaging with works of art can strengthen your skills as a healthcare provider. Instructor: William Perthes

Close-Looking Immersion: Matisse’s <i>Blue Still Life</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Matisse’s Blue Still Life

Thursday, May 15, 6 – 7:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Aesthetics of Everyday Life
Online

Hidden in Plain Sight: The Aesthetics of Everyday Life

Mondays, June 2 – June 23, 2 – 4pm

This course uses the decorative arts collection at the Barnes as a jumping-off point to explore the artistic qualities of common objects. Instructors: Katherine Feldkamp, William Perthes

Heaven on Earth: The Art of the Byzantine Empire
Online

Heaven on Earth: The Art of the Byzantine Empire

Tuesdays, June 3 – June 24, 2 – 4pm

Dive into the visual culture of the Byzantine Empire, which was influenced by nearly a millennium of religious, social, and political upheaval. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell

Art and the First “Homosexuals”
Online

Art and the First “Homosexuals”

Tuesdays, June 3 – June 24, 6 – 8pm

This course surveys artistic representations of homosexual identity, from the early 1900s through the first decades of the 20th century. Instructor: Jonathan D. Katz

Close-Looking Immersion: Van Goyen’s <i>The Square Watch-Tower</i>
Online / Barnes Method

Close-Looking Immersion: Van Goyen’s The Square Watch-Tower

Wednesday, June 11, 12 – 1:30pm

Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes

Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Art, Well-Being, and Medicine

Professional Development Workshops for Groups

New program! Our group workshops help medical students and healthcare professionals develop a more empathetic, humanistic approach to patient care.

The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program

Ongoing

This special track offers an immersion in the Barnes Method and an introduction to other interpretive approaches.

Gift a Barnes Class
Special Offer / Online / On-Site

Gift a Barnes Class

Ongoing

Give the gift of lifelong learning with art history classes taught by Barnes experts.

Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program

Ongoing

A collaboration between the Barnes and SJU, this new online program prepares museum educators to work in public and private institutions, including art, history, and science museums.

Horticulture Certificate Program
Professional Workshops & Certificate Programs

Horticulture Certificate Program

Ongoing

Our two-year certificate program covers horticultural science, methods, and design.