Barnes Takeout: Art Talk on Chaim Soutine’s The Pastry Chef

Feeling peckish? Feast your eyes on one of Soutine’s richest portraits, served up by Gund Family Chief Curator Nancy Ireson
When you're back #seeingtheBarnes in person, look for The Pastry Chef in Room 16 of our galleries.
About Barnes Takeout: Your Daily Serving of Art
In short videos, Barnes curators, scholars, and educators present off-the-cuff musings about some of their favorite works in the collection. Take a break during these trying times, and refocus your mind on something calm and nourishing.
Love our daily bites of art? Hungry for more? Consider going for the main course by taking a Barnes class online. Learn more: bit.ly/barnesclassesonline

[@patriciazandstra8511]

This is my favorite Barnes Takeout so far. Thanks for selecting it to share with us today. Quite unexpected.

[@Duckshots]

You were wonderful. Sharon and I did cocktail hour with your presentation. We will be attending the show in March if the world is still intact, and, if we are still alive.

[@ellenryan6889]

This piece is a wonderful choice for a Barnes Takeout. Aside from the obvious invitation to make a pun out of this choice (eg Takeout/Pastry Chef), the painting is a wonderful example demonstrating how classical and modern art work together to make a piece very special, indeed. Thank you, Nancy.

[@luciap3230]

Thank you for this wonderful treat of a takeout. Dr. Barnes was a trend setter indeed. I cannot wait for the March exhibition. Soutine and de Kooning wow!

[@robertbutts9835]

I love his work.. (Chaim Soutine) a great expressionist artist if not the best

[@michelridgeway8700]

Palmiers might have made an appropriate background along with the other pastries. The de Kooning Soutine show will be a brilliant example of the Barnes tradition of enlightenment in art. I hope to attend.

[@nathanielfick7212]

Wonderful any time of day. Try it over breakfast, lunch, or afternoon tea.

[@juliaturney7017]

I love the use of blue and yellow to make the smock look white.

[@pamelaroesch707]

Wonderful Takeout again today - and a pastry chef!! What a fun piece to learn about! I especially enjoyed the history and the information about the sitter, as well as putting it on the map for us, in the south of France at one of the hotels. I also was interested in Dr. Barnes view of it being an investment, and how he very likely caused the success of Soutine, particularly in the U.S. Fabulous talk, as always! Thank you!!

[@denapeterson1112]

Another wonderful Takeout! Never knew about the connection between DeKooning and Soutine. I may have to find a way to travel to PA for the show!

[@garybonas5366]

Thanks, Nancy. This is great. Love the colors and the image itself.

[@jeanettelitts2797]

Thank you - I’ve learned so much from you and the others!

[@pamelakane3591]

Loved this painting and the talk!

[@PeterDiMeo]

Thank you so much for these videos! Soutine is one of my favorite painters and I can't wait to check out that exhibit next March.

[@carolwalsh8902]

Hi Nancy: This was so very interesting. ! I have been learning so much from these "daily servings of art." This talk was truly informative and also, helped me to appreciate an artist about whom I know very little. Loved learning about the process and some of the reasoning which Dr. Barnes used as he selected works for his collection. As I studied this work of the young pastry chef by Soutine, I felt that our subject appeared to be exhausted, collapsed into the chair with whatever was in his hand at the time. Perhaps he had been doing the cleaning up at the end of a long day, (holding a cloth from washing/drying the dishes) which are typical menial jobs for all young sous chefs! Who knows? Thanks so very much.

[@johnspencer2306]

Hooray! Thanks for bringing out one of the Soutines. And it's wonderful to hear about the upcoming exhibition, de Kooning + Soutine = Must See. Love the variety you're giving us, but it's been about a month since the last Renoir takeout (just saying - you are the Barnes, 181 strong!) - how about Sailor Boy or Mlle. J? Thanks again.

[@jfish2man]

Always learn someting new!!

[@carriegoldhill5229]

Thank you! A wonderful painting to study and to learn about. Do you know if he is smoking a cigarette? I believe I can see it along with swirling brush strokes of light smoke. And When are you going to open?!!!

[@pcote001]

Thank you for these Takeouts. Love them. This image seems to be made up of random bits of flour and dough and utensils found in a bakery. One minor complaint pertains to the general use of the word wonderful. Everyone uses this term. I suggest refraining from using the term unless the speaker explains why they say something is wonderful.

[@MsYugoyugo]

A Wikipedia article on Soutine has more depth. A waste…and why do curators feel they have to tell you, literally, what you are looking at in a painting.