Mission:
To promote the advancement of education and the appreciation of fine arts and horticulture. The foundation carries out its mission through teaching, research, and other programs related to its art department and arboretum, as well as through public access to its collection of paintings, sculpture, and other works of art.

Background:
Dr. Albert C. Barnes was born in 1872 to a family from a working class neighborhood in Philadelphia. He received his M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Medical School and was working as an advertising and marketing representative for a pharmaceutical company by the late 1890s. Barnes amassed his fortune by manufacturing and marketing an antiseptic product called Argyrol, which he helped develop. Throughout his life, Barnes deeply respected the common man and was interested in self-improvement and equal rights for African Americans. He created the Barnes Foundation in 1922 to provide nondiscriminatory access to art and education.

Outstanding Feature:
The Barnes Foundation Web site, which is accessible in English, French, and Japanese, provides an online glimpse into the institution's art collection. The Gallery Highlights page features several of the museum's pieces, including paintings by Renoir, Modigliani, C�zanne, and Gauguin. The Online Exhibition area focuses on the museum's seven paintings by Van Gogh. In addition to the title, date, medium, size, and acquisition date for each work, the exhibition includes discussions of Van Gogh's artistry, background information on the paintings, and comments on the work by Dr. Barnes.