Mondays, April 28 – May 19, 2 – 4pm
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. In Brittany (detail), 1886. The Barnes Foundation, BF161. Public Domain.
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
Gardens are abundant in French paintings of the late 19th century, especially in the work of the impressionists and post-impressionists. This course, co-taught by experts from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society and the Barnes, begins by exploring the variety of Parisian gardens during the impressionist period—royal, personal, and public—and their role in a rapidly modernizing culture. Then, looking closely at works by Manet, Monet, Renoir, Pissarro, Cézanne, and Seurat, we’ll think together about why gardens figure so prominently into so many canvases. What aesthetic opportunities did gardens offer this generation of painters who were so interested in color, light, and varied brushwork? How does painterly technique change from garden to garden, and across different flower varieties? What did gardens—especially public ones—signify in the social history of this period?
This four-week course includes an optional trip to Chanticleer Garden in Wayne, PA, at an extra cost.
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.
This class is offered in partnership with the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society:
Instructors
Andrew Bunting
Bunting is the vice president of horticulture at the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society. He received a BS in plant and soil science from Southern Illinois University. Prior to arriving at PHS, Bunting worked at the Chicago Botanic Garden and Chanticleer Garden and spent 27 years at the Scott Arboretum. He serves on the board of Magnolia Society International and is the author of The Plant Lover’s Guide to Magnolias.
Martha Lucy
Lucy is the deputy director for research, interpretation and education at the Barnes. As an art historian, she specializes in modern European art and visual culture. She is the coauthor of Renoir in the Barnes Foundation and has published articles and essays on topics ranging from the early charcoals of Odilon Redon to contemporary installation art.
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“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
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“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
The Modernists of Montparnasse: The Barnes and Beyond
Explore early 20th-century Paris and the circle of artists—including Picasso, Modigliani, De Chirico, and Matisse—who shaped the course of modern art. Instructor: Joseph Tokumasu Field
Close-Looking Immersion: Cézanne’s Still Life with Skull
Our 90-minute immersions provide opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: William Perthes
The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec
Explore the gritty underworld of 19th-century Paris through the work of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Instructor: Martha Lucy