One-Day Workshop: The Byzantine Tradition at the Barnes Foundation

Instructors: Amy Gillette and Kaelin Jewell (Department of Research, Interpretation, and Education at the Barnes)

Cretan. Nativity of Christ (detail), 16th century. BF362. Public Domain.

Date/Time: Tuesday July 19, 10am-4pm
Location: Onsite in the collection galleries at the Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia

Dr. Albert C. Barnes announced in 1925 that “Modern painting developed out of mosaics,” referring to the glittering glass and stonework of the Byzantine Tradition. The arrangement of his collection seems to support this bold claim. Modern and Byzantine objects are often displayed together—including a 16th- or 17th-century icon of the Nativity in an ensemble with paintings by Renoir—highlighting their shared visual qualities and connecting past and present experiences of art. This one-day workshop explores the art of the Byzantium, its role in Dr. Barnes’s collection, and the profound impact it had on modern artists like Vincent van Gogh, Henri Matisse, and Giorgio de Chirico.

Registration: https://www.barnesfoundation.org/classes/byzantine-tradition