Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes

Matisse & Renoir: New Encounters at the Barnes, presented in the Roberts Gallery, offers a fresh perspective on renowned canvases from the collection. Featuring approximately 35 works by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Henri Matisse from the second floor of the collection galleries, the exhibition reflects the expansion of the Barnes’s educational program and emphasizes the historical and cultural context of the art objects.

Experience paintings from the same period displayed in proximity, including The Joy of Life (1905–6) and Red Madras Headdress (1907) by Matisse and Leaving the Conservatory (1876–77) and Mussel-Fishers at Berneval (1879) by Renoir, and follow the development of two foundational artists of European modernism. 

The exhibition creates space for new conversations between works—a critical aspect of education, research, and public access—and allows visitors and students a rare opportunity to view these iconic paintings in new contexts and juxtapositions.

Credit: Overview from museum website

(From May 30 to September 8, 2024, during the run of this exhibition, the second floor of the Barnes collection will be temporarily closed for floor refinishing.)