Albert C. Barnes - Art Collecting

Art Collecting

From about 1910, when he was in his late 30s, Barnes began to dedicate himself to the study and collecting of art. He commissioned one of his former high school classmates, the painter William Glackens, who had been living in Paris, to buy several 'modern' French paintings for him. In 1911, Barnes gave Glackens $20,000 to buy paintings for him in Paris. Glackens returned with the 20 paintings that formed the core of Barnes' collection.

In 1912, during a stay in Paris, Barnes was invited to the home of Gertrude and Leo Stein, where he met artists such as Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso. In the 1920s, the art dealer Paul Guillaume introduced him to the work of Amedeo Modigliani, Giorgio de Chirico, and Chaim Soutine among others. With money, an excellent eye, and the poor economic conditions during the Great Depression, Barnes was able to acquire much important art at bargain prices. "Particularly during the Depression," Barnes said, "my specialty was robbing the suckers who had invested all their money in flimsy securities and then had to sell their priceless paintings to keep a roof over their heads."

For example, in 1913, Barnes acquired Picasso's Peasants and Oxen for $300—about $6500 in 2010—and he picked up dozens more canvasses for a dollar apiece. He paid $4000 for The Joy of Life. According to his biographer, John Anderson, the most Barnes ever paid for a painting was $100,000.