It was museum day in Philadelphia for us. Yesterday on our Big Bus tour we went past numerous museums, in fact, there is an exit off the highway that takes you to the "Museum District". The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, that runs along the Schuylkill River and then into downtown, is lined with museums. We parked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Rocky statue; stairs to run up and pretend you are Rocky) and paid our admission, which is good for two days.
Yesterday, when we passed a museum that was tucked away behind trees, our tour guide, Manny, said it had the finest collection of Impressionists paintings (in the country? in the City? I don't remember). We looked up the name on the map and then checked out the web-site. The name is the Barnes Foundation. Some of you may know about this Museum/Foundation, but I had never heard of it. But the web-site did, in fact, indicate that there were many French Impressionists paintings there. We purchased tickets for admission and a guided tour at 1:30 pm.
Our plan was to park at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, look around for about 1 hour, eat our lunch, and then walk over to the Barnes Foundation for our 1:30 tour. After, we planned to walk back to the PMA, stopping at the Rodin Museum on the way. But, after we walked into the Barnes Foundation, we were there for the rest of the day.
What a treat!! I'm so glad that we signed up for a tour because our tour guide, who has been doing this tour for many, many years, was enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the Foundation. She explained that Dr. Barnes made a fortune by producing Argyrol, an antiseptic silver compound that prevented eye infections and blindness in newborns, and it made Barnes extremely rich. He sold his company in July, 1929, and consequently had his fortune to buy art.
Dr. Barnes amassed one of the world's most important holdings of post-impressionist and early modern paintings, with concentrations of works by Cezanne, Matisse, Picasso, and Renoir. In fact, he bought 181 Renoir's, the largest collection of Renoir's in the world. There are also 69 Cezanne's. He bought major works by van Gogh, Modigliani, Rousseau and Soutine. And, in a similar manner as the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, he arranged the collection in a manner he called Ensembles. These symmetrical wall arrangements combine paintings, metalwork, sculpture and decorative arts of different periods, cultures, styles and genres and they are in the arrangements as he left them at his death in 1951.
Our tour was special, usually they limit a tour to 15 people; in our tour there were three - Frederick, me and Teddy Ze (www.TeddyZe.com). Stella told us she loves to give tours to small groups of people, everyone was engaged and she didn't have to shout. We certainly enjoyed it and received the benefit of all her knowledge. Usually a tour lasts 1 hour, but Stella took us around for two hours. After the tour, Frederick and I got head-sets and went around the first floor until after 5 pm.
The Ben Franklin Bridge into Philadelphia from New Jersey. $5 toll on the way into Philadelphia; no toll to leave.
Back, West, Entrance into the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We are just emerging from the entrance to the parking garage.
Picture for Renn - John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the United States (1801-1835). His court opinions helped lay the basis for United States constitutional law and made the Supreme Court of the U.S. a coequal branch of government along with the legislative and executive branches.
The PMA has spectacular collections of its own, including many French Impressionists, always my favorite in any Museum. At the PMA we saw works by Pissarro, Monet, Renoir, Seurat, Degas, Manet and Cezanne.
Picture of/for Mary - "Departing for the Promenade (Will you go out with me, Fido?)"
1859 - Alfred-Emile-Leopold Stevens.
A whole room full of Impressionists.
Sunflowers - Vicent van Gogh
Boy with toy soldier - Renoir
Sculpture on a hill just outside the entrance to the parking garage.
Walkway down Benjamin Franklin Parkway from the PMA to the Barnes Foundation.
The Barnes Foundation is one of those museums that do not allow photographs inside.
Gathering for our tour in the lobby. There was supposed to be another couple for the 1pm tour, but they never showed up.
Teddy's jacket that drew attention wherever we went. Teddy is from Austin, Texas.
Our wonderful tour guide, Stella.
Reflecting pool on the outside of the Barnes.
Reflecting pool from the other end.
Walkway from the street to the entrance of the building. Beautiful trees line the way.
Another pool by the parkway.
A backward look at the Barnes Foundation building as we were leaving.
We walked back to the PMA along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The Thinker - Rodin.
Front entrance to the Rodin Museum.
Looking back at the skyline of Philadelphia.
Frederick in his Rocky pose. Most people leave their shirts on for their picture.
Frederick impersonating Rocky running up the steps.
At the top of the stairs where Rocky jumps up and down. I actually ran up the stairs - but I was carrying the camera
General "Mad" Anthony Wayne.
The Ben Franklin bridge going out of Philadelphia for New Jersey.
Tomorrow we plan to go back into Philadelphia for our second day at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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