BARNES FOUNDATION CLASSES
These online classes (usually four-sessions, but not always) are offered through The Barnes (in Philadelphia) not my Arts Muse platform. To learn more about Barnes classes, go to their website: barnesfoundation.org.classes . To register, you can click on the hyperlinked class titles below. *Note registration and payment goes directly to The Barnes, and is a different cost than what I charge for my Arts Muse classes.
Japonisme in Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Art - Wednesday, August 19, 10am – 4pm (one-day online workshop)
When Japanese items—from woodblock prints and kimonos to decorative screens, fans, ceramics, and netsuke—became readily available to European markets in the mid-1850s, the taste for Japanese art and culture exploded. These objects, especially ukiyo-e prints with their vibrant colors, contemporary scenes, stylized forms, and unusual perspectives, profoundly influenced modern artists such as Monet, Whistler, Van Gogh, and Toulouse-Lautrec. Join us as we catch Hokusai’s iconic Great Wave and explore the enduring beauty and influence of Japonisme.
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Post-Impressionism and the Making of Modern Art - Fridays, September 11 – October 2, 1 – 3pm
In the 1880s, a new generation of artists began to approach paint in radically new ways. Though later grouped together under the term “post-impressionism,” artists such as Georges Seurat, Paul Cézanne, Vincent van Gogh, and Paul Gauguin each developed highly individual approaches to color, form, structure, and expression. Think vibrant pointillist dots; still lifes shown in skewed perspective; swirling, textural surfaces; and mysterious Tahitian scenes.
In this four-session online course, we’ll dive into the worlds of these artists by looking closely at their iconic paintings and uncovering their fascinating lives. Throughout, we’ll discuss their innovations and consider how these new approaches laid the groundwork for many of the artistic movements that followed in the 20th century.
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Mary Cassatt: Art, Identity, and Independence - Mondays, October 5 – October 26, 6 – 8pm
Mary Cassatt (1844–1926) forged a singular path as a woman artist working in Paris during the late 19th century. Though limited by where she could study, exhibit, and even live, and often dismissed by critics, Cassatt defied the expectations of the time to become a successful professional artist. Her pioneering life and work have established Cassatt as a modernist icon.
This four-session online course examines Cassatt’s paintings and prints and considers interrelated themes, including her innovative depictions of women and her engagement with Japonisme. We’ll also discuss Cassatt’s enduring friendship with Edgar Degas and the influential role she played in the transatlantic promotion of impressionism. Together, we’ll explore how Cassatt’s work continues to resonate today, for both its formal innovation and its nuanced observations of intimacy, autonomy, and modern experience.
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