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.
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.
Pillars of the Collection
An in-depth exploration of iconic paintings by Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, Picasso, Van Gogh, and other artists in the collection. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell
Exhibition Seminar: From Paris to Provence
Don’t miss this rare opportunity to study Barnes paintings in the Roberts Gallery, make new connections between works, and consider their historical context. Instructor: Martha Lucy
Art and Restorative Justice: Where I'm From
Learn how art can play a role in justice reform—in raising awareness of mass incarceration, providing paths toward reentry, and more. Instructor: William Perthes
A Brief History of the Paris Salon, 1795–1890
This workshop revisits the Paris Salon—its rules, competitions, and rejections—and the backlash against it led by avant-garde artists. Instructor: Caterina Y. Pierre
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
Cézanne’s Philosophy
Explore how Cézanne’s paintings engage fundamental questions about being, time, and perception—no philosophy background needed. Instructor: Naina Saligram
A Story of Early American Painting from the Winterthur Museum
Learn more about the collections at Winterthur and what they tell us about early American culture. Instructor: Kedra Kearis
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
Sound and Color: Pairing Music and Paintings in the Barnes Galleries
Join us in the Barnes collection as we explore how different pieces of music can change how we see a work of art. Instructor: Alison Boyd
Modernism Across Media: Joyce, Stravinsky, Picasso
Explore the connections between three key figures in early 20th-century modernism. Instructors: Naina Saligram, Paul Saint-Amour, Mimi Stillman
Afternoon with an Ensemble: Room 2
Step into the galleries and slow down with this focused study. Instructor: Deborah Krupp
Infernal Visions: Ideas of Hell in the History of Art
Learn how different cultures have visualized the underworld. Instructor: Antongiulio Sorgini
Courbet Reconsidered
Learn more about Gustave Courbet and his place in the history of modern art. Instructor: Paul Galvez
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
Impressionism and the Music of Claude Debussy and His Contemporaries
Explore the connections between impressionism in painting and music. Instructor: Mimi Stillman
Echoes in Clay and Code: Native American Art Across Generations
From ancestral pottery to contemporary digital media, explore Native art as a living, changing cultural expression. Instructor: Dakota H. Stevens
Primitivism at the Barnes Foundation and Beyond
Learn about the concept of primitivism and its enormous role in modern European and American art. Instructor: Alison Boyd
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
Bon Appétit! Food and Art in 18th- and 19th-Century France
Explore the history of French food culture and how it shows up in modern paintings. Instructor: Christa DiMarco
Exhibition Seminar: Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets
Explore the dreamlike imagery of Henri Rousseau face-to-face in our exhibition gallery. Instructor: Martha Lucy
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
Exhibition Seminar: Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets
Explore the dreamlike imagery of Henri Rousseau face-to-face in our exhibition gallery. Instructor: Martha Lucy
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Portrait of a Woman
Spend an hour with Cézanne’s haunting Portrait of a Woman. Instructor: William Perthes
Saint Joseph’s University Museum Education Graduate Program
A collaboration with SJU, this new program prepares future museum educators for roles in public and private institutions.
Horticulture Certificate Program
Our two-year certificate program covers horticultural science, methods, and design.
The Barnes–de Mazia Certificate Program
This special track offers an immersion in the Barnes Method and an introduction to other interpretive approaches.
Art, Well-Being, and Medicine
Our group workshops help medical students and healthcare professionals develop a more empathetic, humanistic approach to patient care.
Gift a Barnes Class
Give the gift of lifelong learning with art history classes taught by Barnes experts.