The Barnes Collection

Originally broadcast on PBS, Glenn Holsten's documentary focuses on the unique legacy of Dr. Albert C. Barnes (1872–1951), a Philadelphia physician and entrepreneur who amassed a 3,000-plus-piece collection of Impressionist and early modern art, as well as works from African and other cultures. Creating the Barnes Foundation in 1922 in a mansion located in a somewhat inaccessible Philadelphia suburb, Barnes held distinctive opinions of how people should view and interpret provocative artistic works. With actor David Morse giving voice to Barnes' own words, backed by commentary from art historians and others, the film notes that Barnes happily challenged an establishment that preferred conservative painting and sculpture. Holsten mostly focuses on the Barnes Foundation's controversial relocation of the collection to a more accessible locale in Philadelphia, where architects Tod Williams and Billie Tsien created an innovative space that maintains Barnes' original exhibition plans while also incorporating present-day concepts of lighting and nature. Although The Barnes Collection sometimes feels like a commercial for the new site, which opened in May 2012, it nonetheless does a fine job of showing off Barnes' crown jewels, while the sequence involving the relocation of a fragile Matisse mural to its new home provides fascinating insights regarding the logistics of art preservation. A fine companion film to The Art of the Steal (VL Online-7/10)—which offered a critical look at the impending move—this is highly recommended. Aud: H, C, P. (P. Hall)