Barnes Collection

A "promotional film" for the NEW Barnes Museum in Philadelphia that you should see before you visit but it's only half the story
This 55-minute documentary was produced by Philadelphia's PBS TV station WHYY to coincide with the opening of the new Barnes Foundation art gallery in May 2012 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, just a few blocks from the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It aired on PBS in August. If it wasn't so long, it might be the kind of film you would see in a small theater at the Barnes just before you viewed the collection. And, it is something that those visiting the Collection should see before they go, especially if they have never visited the Barnes Collection in its former (and original) home in Merion, PA (about 12 miles from the new location).

For those who have an appreciation for art - especially the "Impressionist Period" - and may not get to visit the new Barnes museum, you will learn a bit about Dr. Barnes and his collection but you won't know WHY it was moved from his estate to Center City Philadelphia. (more on that in a minute)

The film jumps around in time going...

Color Me Disappointed
I was soooo looking forward to seeing this program. I read about it months ago and noted the pbs airing date on my calendar. When the date came around, my local pbs station, KQED, decided to bury it in the wee hours. They showed it three or four times but not once earlier than 11pm which, with my schedule, meant I didn't get to see it. I was able to obtain a copy before the official release date and watched it last night. First of all, the title is a misleading come-on. The program is NOT about the collection, it's about Dr. Barnes. You see very few of the paintings in the collection, and primarily as something to show while boring people talk about Dr. Barnes. Also, I was quite surprised at what short shrift they gave to the controversy surrounding moving the collection from Merion to Philadelphia. If you didn't know anything about it before seeing the program, you'd think moving the collection had universal approval except, perhaps, for a couple of naysayers who objected...

Amazing Collection
After seeing this video, I cannot wait to visit the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia. Barnes had the genius to amass an incredible collection of Impressionist art during its early stages. It is one of the most beautiful and best collections of Renior's and Cezanne's that I have ever seen.

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