The $20,000 Handshake: Glackens, Barnes, and the Birth of a Collection

About this event

In 1912, Albert C. Barnes, a self-made pharmaceutical tycoon with a restless ambition—handed his childhood friend, artist William Glackens, a check and a mission: go to Paris and find the future of art. Glackens returned with a haul of canvases that would shock the world and form the cornerstone of the fabled Barnes Foundation. Join us as we explore the bond between the millionaire and the painter, and how their shared vision created one of the most significant private art collections in history.