A Day at the Barnes Foundation

Our beautifully artistic lunch at the Barnes Foundation:
crab cakes with colorful vegetables, Cuban sandwich.

For years I have hoped to see the collections of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, and at last, today, we did so. The numerous works by Renoir, Cezanne, Matisse, Soutine, Picasso, Utrillo, Modigliani, a few by Degas, Monet, Manet, and many other late-19th and early-20th century artists are overwhelming. Collections of African masks, American Indian pots and jewelry, early-American furniture, Renaissance works (mostly by less-well-known artists), and fascinating functional metal objects were also exciting. Even the works from other times and cultures seemed to me to express sensibilities from early-twentieth century art movements. The fact that this is a collection of enormous size and remarkable quality that belonged to just one man amazes me.

Photography is forbidden, but I sinned for this
 image of Arny and Tracy in front of the art.

I loved Matisse's "Music Lesson," especially
the figure who appears to be a father
waiting for his child at the lesson.

Mona Lisa was waiting in the gift shop.

Dinner

On the way back from Philadelphia to Lancaster we made a random and very lucky stop for Thai food. The Royal Thai Orchid in Malvern, Pennsylvania, turned out to have great duck with fruit, soft-shell crab, and crabcakes.