Recently, over winter break, I visited the Barnes Foundation with my family. I had such an amazing and inspiring time at this museum, so if anyone has the time to visit, trust me it will  be worth your time.

The Barnes Foundation was different than any other museum that I have visited before. It was much smaller, but had a close-knit feel, and every piece of art coincided perfectly with one another. For once, I was not overwhelmed by the amount of floors and rooms I had to visit to get to see everything I wanted. The Barnes made it easily accessible to visit every piece.

There were many European artists featured there including but not limited to Picasso, Matisse, and Renoir. I mention this because I think it is important for people to know that what we learn about in our art history classes at Marywood can be applied in real life. I recognized many pieces that I learned about from past classes, and was able to understand what the artist’s meaning was behind their work. Some may not believe it, but art does have the ability to emotionally move people.

Seeing pieces of art in person and taking in the vastness of their size or impeccable detail is something I strongly suggest for anyone to experience, whether you are pursing a degree in art or not. For example, The Card Players by Paul Cézanne was such an incredible piece to witness in person. The Barnes Foundation allowed me to rekindle my admiration towards Matisse, and his use of sensational colors, and thick strokes of expressionism. Even Picasso, and how his art was easily identifiable towards the lower classes. I was able to compare each artist to one another, and I realized through this visit that every artist has an imprint of their time.

If you are ever looking for something interesting to do during a weekend at school (instead of watching Netflix and attempting to stay warm), and there are no campus events going on, Philly is not too far away to spend the day in the city. Tickets to this museum are discounted at a student price, too!

For more information visit http://www.barnesfoundation.org