Wednesdays, January 8 – January 29, 4 – 6pm
Paul Gauguin. Haere Pape (detail), 1892. The Barnes Foundation, BF109. Public Domain.
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
What should we do with a famous artist who may not have been the best human being? Paul Gauguin was one of the leading painters and printmakers of the 19th-century Parisian avant-garde, known for his enigmatic symbolist aesthetic and rough-hewn approach. Although he remains a central figure in the modern art canon, aspects of Gauguin’s biography have prompted scholars to reconsider his legacy.
In this course, we will closely examine how Gauguin’s style and subject matter evolved from his years in Paris, where he exhibited with the impressionists, to his later work created in Tahiti, the French Polynesian island where he sought a world untainted by modern life. As we discuss Gauguin’s life and work, we will engage with the difficult issues his imagery brings to the fore.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
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Barnes classes will:
- Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Instructor
Christa DiMarco
DiMarco is an art historian specializing in 19th-century European painting, with a focus on Vincent van Gogh’s two-year stay in Paris. Her recent essays include “Van Gogh’s Parisian Gardens on the Butte Montmartre,” published in Nineteenth Century Studies (Penn State University Press), and “Marginal Space: Van Gogh’s and Signac’s Parisian Industrial Landscapes” in Perspective: Selected Essays on Space in Art and Design (Vernon Press).
Recent Barnes Class Testimonials
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“Joe Tokumasu Field was a wonderful instructor—very patient, caring, and skilled at interacting with students’ questions and comments.” The Japanese American Century with Joseph Tokumasu Field
“Kaelin got us involved in the conversation in a way that made it engaging and fun. I learned so much and didn’t feel like I was just being lectured at the whole time. The class was well paced and covered the basics without oversimplification.” The Language of Painting with Kaelin Jewell
“I love these close-looking classes; [it’s great] to see the details of each painting and to have an instructor lead our eyes in how best to look at a work of art.” Close-Looking Immersion: Glackens’s The Raft with William Perthes
“The instructor was amazing! She was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, funny, and open to questions. She brought in outside resources and made herself available via email for questions between classes. I would take anything she teaches.” The Impressionists: Friends and Family with Caterina Pierre
Go Further
Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s Haere Pape
This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram
Bosch and Bruegel
Explore works by the Netherlandish painters and the connections between their art. Instructor: Larry Silver
Close-Looking Immersion: Van Gogh’s The Postman
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Kaelin Jewell