Talks and Tours
Highlights Tour
This one-hour tour is perfect for first-time visitors. Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes.
Private Collection Tour
Explore highlights of the collection and learn the history of the Barnes. This tour is a private one-hour experience for you and up to nine guests.
Private Collection Tour: Favorite Artists
Choose your favorite artists in the collection for a private one-hour experience for up to ten guests.
Daily Gallery Talks
Every day, our gallery specialists offer talks about the Barnes collection. Learn more about our history, founder, and collection.
Exhibition Tour: Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets
Take a deep dive into this landmark exhibition that reexamines the work of the self-taught artist.
Private Tour: Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets
This docent-led tour of Henri Rousseau: A Painter’s Secrets is a private one-hour experience for you and up to nine guests.
December Spotlight Tour: Radical Visionaries: Van Gogh, Pippin, and Beyond
Explore the self-taught and rebellious painters in the collection who broke new ground with their work.
Book Talk: Deborah Willis on Reflections in Black
The artist and historian discusses the 25th anniversary edition of her groundbreaking book of Black photography.
January Spotlight Tour: The Life Cycle of a Painting
Explore the creative processes of renowned artists such as Cézanne and Picasso to understand how they developed their works.
Deep Dive: Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence
Explore this religious scene in-depth with Penn MA student Nina Huang. Free with admission; Room 2
February Spotlight Tour: The Life Cycle of a Painting
This tour guides you through the process of creating a work of art and allows you to step into the mind of great artists.
Deep Dive: Klee’s Place-Signs
An in-depth discussion about the painting with Penn MA student Nina Huang. Free with admission; Room 17
Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art—Keynote Lecture
Historian Steven Nelson presents “Why the Underground Railroad Matters.”
Graduate Student Symposium on the History of Art
Discover innovative research and new perspectives shaping the field of art history.
March Spotlight Tour: Matisse, Dr. Barnes, and The Dance
Tour our collection of paintings by Henri Matisse and learn how a visit to the Barnes collection was a pivotal moment in the artist's career.
Deep Dive: Cézanne’s Still Life
An in-depth discussion about Still Life with Penn MA student Nina Huang. Free with admission; Room 8