“I want to astonish
Paris with an apple”
Paul Cézanne
visual statements are designed
to encourage visitors to see patterns of shape, theme and color,
to recognize how seemingly unrelated works can gain meaning
and coherence when presented
as a group. Newcomers to the
Barnes Foundation may find the
collection overwhelming, however, especially given its unique
presentation of the works. The
limited size and scope of this exhibit is an excellent format within
which to learn how to approach
individual works; on their own or
with the help of a docent, visitors
learn to see details like changes in
brush technique, color mapping,
and perspective, to recognize
New Jersey Stage
theme and composition, all skills
that serve to greatly enhance their
experience of the Barnes collection and its dense, diverse installations.
Visitors both to the Cézanne
exhibit and the main collection
have the option of a docent-led
tour, which is well worth the extra
money; docents are well-schooled
not just in the ins and outs of the
Foundation, but on the lives of
the artists and in general art history. Visitors may also use an audio tour guide, but it only covers
selected works, and can be distracting. A morning visit is best, as
space is limited and the building
tends to fill up later in the day. The
August 2014
pg 56