I traveled to the Barnes Museum in Philadelphia along with many other honors students on October 24th, 2015. This was a great opportunity to see priceless works of art from some of the most notable artists in modern history. According to The Economist, “[The Barnes Museum] holds the greatest private collection of post-impressionist and early modern art in America.” Not only was it a great opportunity to see the art, but it was great to travel into the city and explore what it has to offer.
This visit to the Barnes Museum was a great educational experience. The museum offered commentary for a good portion of the pieces through a portable music player. We were given the opportunity to view the art with our own interpretations, as well as listen to the commentary and learn what the artist had achieved with their work. Many of the paintings were from groundbreaking artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Renoir, Cézanne, and Van Gogh. To be in the presence of a works touched by such legends was pretty incredible. It was also a surreal experience to see works that date back to the 15th century. It was hard to grasp that I was observing a painting that had lived in countless settings and had been touched by individuals that had passed away hundreds of years ago. I had a great time viewing the art in the museum.
The day managed to get even better when we went to Sabrina’s Café. After a short walk, we found a small restaurant with a crowd of people waiting outside. After some quick research, we found that it was one of the most famous brunch restaurants in Philadelphia. Luckily, we avoided the wait by grabbing seats at the bar. The food, music, and service were amazing. Overall, I had a great time on the honors trip to the Barnes Museum and I would love to go there again!