The Barnes Collection

The world of private art collecting has always been as glamorous as it has been controversial. In 2012, Albert C. Barnes’s extensive private collection was made available to the public for the first time, granting access to more than three thousand works by artists including Matisse, Cézanne, Renoir, and Picasso.

The Barnes Collection follows Albert C. Barnes as he rises from an everyday working man to a renowned art collector and controversial figure. The film also tracks the efforts of art historians, designers, and construction experts as they work to create a space in which the Barnes collection can be displayed to the public.

As The Barnes Collection traces both sides of the eponymous collection’s history and legacy, it offers a glimpse into the exclusive world of art collecting and the art lovers who work to bring each piece to the public, in direct opposition to Barnes’s final wishes.