Our holiday shipping deadline has passed, but we are working to fulfill orders quickly

Our holiday shipping deadline has passed, but we are working to fulfill orders quickly

learn more

How to Read Art

This charmingly illustrated, highly informative field guide to understanding art history is small enough to fit in a pocket yet serious enough to provide real answers.

This volume is a one-stop guide to understanding the world’s great artworks. The book explains the aesthetics of schools of painting from the Renaissance masters and Impressionists to the Cubists and Modernists. It enables readers to develop swiftly an understanding of the vocabulary of painting and to discover how to look at diverse paintings in detail. In the first part of the book, the author reveals how to read paintings by considering five key areas: shape and support, style and medium, compositional devices, genre, and the meaning of recurring motifs and symbols. The second part explores fifty paintings through extracted details, accompanied by insightful commentary, training the reader and viewer to understand context and discover meaning within art. How to Read Art is the perfect companion for anyone interested in paintings and a book that no art lover’s home should be without.

Paperback, 256 pages. Cover measures 5.4 x 6.5 inches.

Shipping & Pickup

We are a small team helping both in-store visitors and online customers. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for online order processing in addition to the selected shipping speed time frame. If you enter an email address at checkout you will receive shipping and tracking information. Contact us if you have questions about receiving your order by a certain date and we will try our best to accommodate your needs.

 

Route Shipping Protection: We have partnered with Route to offer a seamless claims experience if your shipment is damaged or missing.

This optional service is available at checkout for a small fee based on your merchandise total. By deselecting Route Shipping Protection, the Barnes Foundation is not liable for lost, stolen, or damaged orders. 

 

Pick-up is available Thursday through Monday, from 10 am to 4 pm and can be selected during checkout. Once you have received an email confirming that your order has been fulfilled visit the Barnes Shop, located in the lower level of the Barnes Foundation, and have your order number and identification ready to present to our shop team.  

Returns & Exchanges 

We want you to love your Barnes Shop purchase. If you are unsatisfied with your order, you may reach out to request a return or exchange within 30 days of receipt. Items must be in new, unworn/unused condition with the original tags attached. Please note that sale items are not eligible for return or exchange. 

 

Request a return or exchange shop@barnesfoundation.org

 

Find our complete returns and exchanges policy here.

Member Benefits 

Members save 10% on all full-price items, and have exclusive access to additional discounts in December, and during Member Appreciation in May. Join here today. To receive your member discount, simply enter the coupon code provided by our Membership team at checkout. Email us if you need assistance.

Search The Barnes Shop