The Barnes Foundation officially opened its new Philadelphia space to the public Saturday, Art Daily is reporting.
The new space is expected to get 250,000 visitors during its first year in Philadelphia, roughly four times more than in its former home in Merion that required reservations, sometimes months in advance. The new museum will also have improved lighting to reduce the glare that was a perennial problem at the Merion space.
Other improvements include added space for a restaurant and cafe, a gift shop, classrooms and an auditorium, as well as more parking.
The collection includes 181 paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, 69 by Paul Cézanne, 59 by Henri Matisse, 46 by Pablo Picasso, 21 by Chaim Soutine, 18 by Henri Rousseau, 16 by Amedeo Modigliani, 11 by Edgar Degas, seven by Vincent Van Gogh and six by Georges Seurat. One of Matisse's works of dancers was created for the main gallery space, where the triptych is above Palladian windows.