Giorgio de Chirico, 1926. Portrait of Albert Barnes. Oil on canvas

Sharon Lorenzo’s book review of The Maverick’s Museum by Blake Gopnik.

I had the pleasure of hearing Blake Gopnik’s remarks on this effort, which he published after many years as an art critic for Newsweek, The Washington Post, and  the New York Times. With his Ph.D. in art history from Oxford University, he was well- prepared to tackle this complex story of a man who grew up in miserable poverty and emerged many years later with the most valuable private art collection in the United States. Recently valued at $90 billion dollars, the Barnes Foundation is a fabulous place to visit and spend time with his 4,323 objects including 1005 paintings with 181 works by Renoir, 69 by Cezanne, 54 by Matisse and 46 by Picasso!

Gopnik was very candid to explain that Barnes was cranky with somewhat nasty behavior as the result of a childhood in the area of south Philadelphia known as The Neck.  His father came out of the Civil War missing one arm, and his mother held the family of 4 boys together as best she could.  Albert was able to attend Central High School on a scholarship and then the University of Pennsylvania where he studied experimental therapeutics in the Medical School.   Determined to start his own business, Barnes partnered with a licensed pharmacist and Ph.D., Hermann Hille.  They came up with a formula for an antiseptic they called Argyrol which was used in newborns as well as for treating illnesses like the Spanish flu.

Graduating in 1892, Albert Barnes met a lovely girl named Laura Leggett, and after a wedding and ten week honeymoon in Europe, Barnes returned to Philadelphia and was determined to focus on both art and education.  He hired an art student, Violette de Mazia, to teach the workers in his Argyrol factory about art, and eventually she would run the education programs for the entire Barnes Foundation.

Albert also befriended two friends from Central High School who emerged as successful local artists, William Glackens and John Sloan.  With his financial successes, Barnes gave Glackens $20,000  in 1910, and he came back from Europe  with 33 works of art .  After the famous Armory Show in New York City in 1913, Barnes met a fellow scholar, John Dewey in NYC, and together they formulated a seminar on how to learn from art.  Barnes was a quick study and in 1915 published an essay entitled, “How to Judge a Painting” in the Arts and Decorations magazine.

Gopnik describes at length the trip to Europe in 1921 that Barnes took with his wife to meet the top art dealers, Kahnweiler, Vollard and Durand- Ruel.  On that trip he paid $3000 and bought The Joy of Life by Henri Matisse.

Henri Matisse, The Joy of Life,1905-6. Oil on canvas.

A few more strategic purchases from that trip were the Paul Cezanne, Toward Mont St. Victoire of 1878-9, and The Card Players. (A second edition of same  recently sold  for $25 million dollars)

Paul Cezanne, Toward Mont Sainte-Victoire, 1878-9. Oil on canvas

Paul Cezanne, The Card Players, 189-92. Oil on canvas.

Additionally, Barnes was dedicated to the education of minorities and made sure that they  got educations and exposure to his art collection.  In 1925 he was able to buy a large place for his foundation in the  Merion suburb.  The Barnes Method of art education became a huge part of his legacy with classes by De Mazio which still exist today. Gopnik said in his remarks that Barnes initially would let in anyone to see his collection who was poor and underprivileged,  but frowned upon entertaining the Philadelphia elite.

Following his death in 1951 in a car accident, the Barnes Foundation opened to the public in 1961.  After the death of his wife, the Governor of Pennsylvania partnered with local foundations to move the collection to central city near  the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  While this was a deviation of the Barnes Trust, the local judge allowed the change of venue since it was arguable that more people should be allowed access to this massive public resource. More than 120,000 students and approximately 300,000 visitors each year view the collection assembled very carefully in its new home to match Barnes’ original installation in Merion.

While Gopnik said that Barnes was cranky and a bit eccentric, he did indeed pursue putting his financial success to work, and like other art collectors, created a legacy for many  generations to embrace and enjoy.  A visit to the Barnes requires plenty of time to engage visually with this wonderful assemblage of artistic treasures from around the globe.

Barnes Foundation building, Tod  Williams and Billie Tsien Architects, 2007. Central Philadelphia.

Barnes Foundation interior room.

 

Albert Barnes, 1872-1951.

The Maverick’s Museum – Albert Barnes and his American Dream

Blake Gopnik, Harper Collins, 2025  $24.99.

 

The Barnes Collection

Philadelphia, PA

https://www.barnesfoundation.org/

 

 

 

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