From Paris to Provence: French Painting at the Barnes

About the Exhibition

Charting a journey through France, this exhibition examines how place informed the work of modern painters in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Life in and around Paris and the coastal regions of Normandy and Brittany inspired the radical brushwork, light palette, and contemporary subject matter of impressionists like Claude Monet and Pierre-Auguste Renoir, their mentor and friend Édouard Manet, and the post-impressionists. Several of these painters subsequently moved to the South of France, seeking the warmer climate and dazzling sunlight that intensified their colors. The exhibition highlights Vincent van Gogh’s time in Arles and Saint-Rémy as well as Paul Cézanne’s deep connection to his native Provence. Finally, the show returns to Paris to find a new generation of painters who flocked to the City of Light from across Europe—Amedeo Modigliani, Chaïm Soutine, Giorgio de Chirico, and Joan Miró—and reaffirmed the French capital’s place as the center of modern art.

On view in the Roberts Gallery, From Paris to Provence: French Painting at the Barnes presents more than 50 paintings from the first floor of the Barnes collection, in a display that reflects the expansion of our educational program, emphasizing the objects’ art-historical context. By placing iconic works in new contexts and juxtapositions, the exhibition encourages fresh perspectives.

While the exhibition is on view, rooms 2–13 on the first floor of the collection gallery will be closed for a floor refinishing project.

Exhibition Organization

From Paris to Provence: French Painting at the Barnes is curated by Cindy Kang.

Related Programs

Member Previews
Thursday, June 26–Saturday, June 28, 10 am–5 pm
Members are invited to view From Paris to Provence before the exhibition’s public opening.

Curators in Conversation
Sunday, June 29, 1 pm
Join us for an engaging talk about From Paris to Provence with curator Cindy Kang.

Exhibition Tours
Thursday–Monday, beginning July 3, 1 pm
This one-hour tour offers a closer look at the artists and paintings in From Paris to Provence. Includes access to the exhibition and collection before and after the tour.

Private Exhibition Tours
Thursday–Monday, beginning July 3
Private tours of From Paris to Provence are available for up to ten guests.

Members-Only Exhibition Tours
Thursdays, July 3–August 28, 2–3 pm
Members are invited to an exclusive tour of From Paris to Provence.

PECO Free First Sunday Family Day
July 6, August 3; 10 am–4 pm
On the first Sunday of every month, the Barnes partners with PECO to offer a free day of family fun. Our July and August events include access to the collection and From Paris to Provence.

Members-Only Online Exhibition Tours
Wednesdays, July 9 & August 20, 2–3 pm
Members are invited to exclusive online tours of From Paris to Provence.

Barnes on the Block
Sunday, July 13, noon–5 pm
Join us for our annual block party presented by PNC Arts Alive, and in partnership with Mural Arts Philadelphia. This free event includes access to the Barnes collection and From Paris to Provence.

Exhibition Seminar: From Paris to Provence
Instructor: Martha Lucy
Tuesday, July 15, 10 am–noon or 2–4 pm
Tuesday, August 12, 10 am–noon or 2–4 pm
Join us for a two-hour seminar held directly in front of some of the most beloved French paintings in the Barnes collection, including Monet’s Studio Boat, Van Gogh’s Smoker, and Cézanne’s iconic Mont Sainte-Victoire. With the works temporarily rearranged in the Roberts Gallery, we’ll explore new connections and questions, examining how artists grappled with the rise of industry and the significance of place in their practice.

First Friday
August 1, 6–9 pm
Enjoy an evening of art, live music, and light fare on the first Friday of each month. August’s event is presented in partnership with BlackStar Film Festival and includes access to From Paris to Provence and the Barnes collection.