The Barnes Method

From the start, Albert Barnes wanted his collection to provide an opportunity for people to learn about art. He also thought most museums of his day were elitist and inaccessible to the general public. Barnes believed art should be for everyone, regardless of their background. Barnes’s philosophy was based on the idea that people learn the most about a work of art by looking at it deeply and objectively. He emphasized observation as the foundation of understanding and appreciation. Eventually, this approach to looking became known as the Barnes Method.

Dr. Albert C. Barnes wanted his collection to educate people. He thought most museums of his day failed to do this because they were meant only for wealthy people. Barnes believed that art is for everyone, and that observation is the key to understanding art. He taught his students to look at art in a particular way. This became known as the Barnes Method.

The Barnes Method begins with line, color, light, and space. These elements provide a language to think and talk about art. Once you learn this language, you can use it to talk about any work of art. Try it with Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 The Postman, above.

LINES can be wavy or straight, long or short, thick or thin. Van Gogh composed The Postman with many lines: the curving flowers, the choppy diagonals of the jacket, and the parallel dashes of the eyebrows.

COLOR sets the mood. Van Gogh paints The Postman with blues, yellows, and greens, with red and pink accents. How would you describe the mood in this painting?

LIGHT can transform a scene. Van Gogh uses highlights and shadows to create the contours of the figure’s face, beard, and clothing. From which direction do you think the light is shining onto this scene? How can you tell?

Artists create the illusion of SPACE through light, color, and shape. The canvas is two-dimensional, but the postman appears to be sitting in front of the wall, as if the scene is three-dimensional.

The Barnes Method uses line, color, light, and space. This language can be used to discuss any artwork. Try it with Vincent van Gogh’s 1889 The Postman, above.

LINES can be wavy or straight, long or short, thick or thin. Van Gogh made The Postman with many lines. There are curvy lines on the flowers and diagonal ones on the jacket.

COLOR sets the mood. Van Gogh uses blues, yellows, and greens, with red and pink accents. How would you describe the mood in this painting?

LIGHT transforms a scene. Van Gogh uses highlights and shadows to outline the man’s face, beard, and clothing. Can you tell which direction the light is coming from in this scene?

Artists create the illusion of SPACE with light, color, and shape. The canvas is two-dimensional, but the man appears to be in front of the wall. He looks three-dimensional.

In his classes, Barnes emphasized line, color, light, and space. But you can also apply what you know about the other elements of art and principles of design in a similar way.

Artists create TEXTURE through the way they apply paint. They might use smooth, barely visible brushstrokes. Or, like Van Gogh, they might add thick layers of paint, leaving the brushstrokes visible.

Van Gogh includes the greatest amount of detail—dense lines, careful use of value, and precise texture—around the postman’s face. This subtle technique creates EMPHASIS, pulling the viewer’s eye to the most important part of the painting.

By placing two or more elements alongside one another, artists can create CONTRAST. Van Gogh uses short, quick lines for the beard. He paints the wall with flat, nearly invisible texture. How does this contrast help represent space?

Imagine two lines dividing the canvas horizontally and vertically. Notice how the figure is centered within the scene, creating symmetrical BALANCE.

Artists can use the elements of art like beats in music, creating RHYTHM. What patterns does Van Gogh repeat?

When artists create UNITY, the elements of art and principles of design come together with a sense of order. Is The Postman a unified composition?

Now that you understand the visual language in The Postman, is there anything you wish you knew about the subject or the artist? What is gained or lost by considering an artwork outside of its historical context?

You can also use other elements of art and principles of design to discuss art!

TEXTURE describes the surface of an artwork. Artists create texture by how they paint. They can use smooth brushstrokes or thick, visible layers of paint, like Van Gogh does.

Van Gogh uses the most detail around the postman’s face. See the dense lines and color? This creates EMPHASIS. It attracts your eye.

CONTRAST is when different elements are used next to each other. Van Gogh uses short, quick lines for the beard and flat, smooth brushstrokes on the wall.

Imagine a line down the center of the painting, right through the postman’s nose. He is centered in the scene, which creates BALANCE.

Artists can use the elements of art to create RHYTHM. What patterns does Van Gogh repeat? Which elements create rhythm?

UNITY is when the elements of art and principles of design create a sense of order. Which elements does Van Gogh use to create unity?

Now that you understand the visual language in The Postman, is there anything else you wish you knew about the subject or the artist?