Google has just launched their new Google Art project today (link at the bottom of post) and it’s rather exciting! Now you can visit 17 famous art galleries around the world – without leaving your home! Using the same technology as Google Street Maps you can ‘walk’ round the rooms of the buildings and zoom into the paintings!
Chris Ofili No woman no cryThe images are high-resolution and you can really see details AND the brushstrokes! I’m very excited by this and have already had a peek in the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam and Tate Britain where I zoomed into Chris Ofili’s ‘No woman No Cry’ among many.
William Blake ‘Ghost of a Flea’William Blake’s ‘Ghost of a Flea’ proved very interesting. Although I really like this idea, I do hope that this project will act as an aperitif and inspire people to actually visit these galleries;-
The National Gallery London
The Frick Collection New York City
Freer Gallery of Art. Smithsonian Washington DC
State Tretakov Gallery Moscow
Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin
The State Hermitage Museum St Petersburg
Palace of Versailles Versailles
MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art New York City
Rijksmuseum Amersterdam
Museo Reina Sofia Madrid
Mueo Thyssen Bornemisza Madrid
The Metropolitan Museum of Art New York City
Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
Museum Kampa Prague
Uffizi Gallery Florence
Tate Britain London
Germaldegalerie Berlin
In the far right of the screen there is a small plus sign near each painting – this will bring you really up close to the painting 🙂 Sometime this crashes, but don’t forget – the project is brand new and millions of people will be virtually stampeding through these galleries (just had a quick look at Edouard Manet’s In the Conservatory in the Alte Nationalgalerie Berlin myself, though I’m not too sure how I ended up there. I’m going to take my time visiting these galleries – which will take ages. These are treasure houses full of art and do need to be savoured.
http://www.googleartproject.com/
Video by http://www.youtube.com/user/GoogleArtProject with thanks!
Echostains Blog 
Wonderful! I just ran around the New York Gallery! I suppose the only trouble is, people will be too lazy to go to the actual gallery. Thanks for posting, Lynda.
Thanks for the link, Lynda. That’s awesome and very exciting. I took a quick virtual look at the Freer gallery in D.C. (I’ve been to it) and it’s surreal and amazing, taking a virtual stroll down familiar corridors. Right now, the artwork isn’t loading in my browser very well, but I don’t know if that’s an issue on their end or mine. I’m looking forward to much perusing!
Yes, I got a bit confused by the close ups – and kept getting other paintings that weren’t what I’d picked. Probably just a glitch which will be fine when the newness wears off. Really looking forward to exploring these galleries bit by bit though 🙂
What an interesting idea. So often we relate to individual works, but the chance to study a collection can be informative. I wonder if they will create games next where you can position the art in the virtual museum? Might be fun for people to play curator. Do you remember playing the “Masterpiece” board game which was a different thing all together?
No, I don’t remember ‘Masterpice’ – sounds intriguing though 🙂 I’m dying to really get stuck into these galleries! I think it’s a good idea if the first Gallery one visits is one you at least have been to – then you can get the real authenticity. I went round the rooms of Tate Britain which I have visited – and it was amazing!
Yes, I feel that concern too Jessica (a bit like those Kindle’s). I don’t think though that any reproduction – no matter how good can beat seeing (or handling and reading Kindle wise) the real thing 🙂
Thank-you, Lynda! 🙂 What fun!
I’m having so much fun with this Leslie 🙂 Have you checked out the Van Gogh Museum yet?
Ooh! This is not something I should have discovered while at work. Too tempting to wander and gaze. Love it!
Now now ebbtide – don’t be getting lost down those corridors (like me) – great escapism and very distracting 😀
I agree that nothing replaces standing in front of the real deal for the direct experience of art. I would concur that for this program to be resonant, it would help to have visited the museum.
It’s a great taster thoug isn’t it! I hardly know where to start – there’s so much choice 🙂
This is a brilliant idea, but unfortunately my ‘net connection wasn’t fast enough for it when I tried it. I’ll try again sometime.
Thanks for posting this, Lynda.
🙂
Aw! its probably just because its being bombarded at the moment Val. It will calm down in a bit then you can explore 🙂
Thank you.
Glad you like this 47whitebuffalo 🙂