HazelDiary

Art and art history enthusiasts should visit some specific places where art abound. You probably already know some of the most renowned places. Paris, New York, Berlin, you name it. It depends on whether you enjoy art galleries or you prefer street art. For the former, places such as Paris will be best. For the latter, New York is one of the top places. Different places are famous for some particular art forms. However, in this article, we will focus exclusively on visual art.

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

Art history enthusiasts appreciate the old artworks and the more modern art manifestations. Others prefer a very particular style or period. For everyone, there is a place to explore art. Sadly, not everyone can afford international travel. Moreover, given the current health situation, even if you can afford to travel, you may not be able to do it. Many countries don’t allow foreign visitors for leisure purposes yet.
However, this situation should not prevent you from exploring art. If you cannot leave home physically, you can always do it virtually. All you need is an Internet connection and a computer. Even a smartphone will suffice. Several art sites have fine online exhibitions. From the commodity of your house, you can see paintings, sculptures, and other visual art forms. The electronic platforms vary, but they all give you a good experience. Let’s embark on a virtual journey of art discovery and exploration.

One Place that Has It All
One of the most recommended sites to explore art is Wikiart. This site has a very large collection of visual artworks from all over the world. It has on display more than 169 thousand pieces. Wikiart is not a simple collection of online pictures though. It is also an online encyclopedia focused on the visual arts. It offers detailed descriptions of each painting or artwork on display. It provides the context in which the artist created such specific artwork.
Moreover, it features the biographies of almost 3,300 artists of more than 100 nationalities. Hence, Wiki Art is also a useful resource for students and researchers. For easy browsing, this encyclopedia presents all this information in a well-organized manner. The list of artworks, for example, includes these categories:

• Art movements. Romanticism, Impressionism, and Expressionism are the most represented movements in this category. However, Wikiart features a total of 171 art movements;
• Schools and groups. École de Paris, New York School, and Degenerate Art are the most represented schools on the site. But you can browse 267 different schools in total;
• Genres. Abstract, Landscape, and Portrait are the most popular genres on the site. But you can find artworks in 61 genres on this site;
• Fields. Out of a total of 27 fields, Painting, Sculpture, and Printmaking are the most represented.

Other classification categories include the Nationalities of the artists. Also, the site groups artists according to the Centuries in which they were active. One last classification criterion is the Art Institutions. This corresponds to the affiliation (if any) of each artist.
Likewise, this site classifies artworks by styles, genres, and media. The latter refers to the materials that the artist used to create the artwork. Recently, the site added a Court Métrage (Short Film) section.
Other Online Platforms to Explore Art
The previous platform has anything you would like to know and see about the visual arts. But if you have an interest in a specific place, some famous museums are exhibiting online. Here are some of them.
1. The Getty Museum in Los Angeles, USA
This renowned museum exhibits a large collection of visual artworks spanning 6,000 years of history. From prehistoric art to Van Gogh and Renoir, this museum has it all. You can access it through Google Arts and Culture;
2. The Vatican Museum in Vatican City
You can have a virtual tour through an immense collection of paintings and sculptures. One of the best parts is a 360-degree picture of the Sistine Chapel with murals by Michelangelo;

Photo Credit: http://resourcemagonline.com/

3. The National Gallery in London, UK
This virtual tour takes you to one of the finest art collections in Europe. The collection on display includes artworks that span seven centuries of history;
4. The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, The Netherlands
This museum has an interactive tour that takes you through many galleries. You can admire artworks by famous Dutch artists like Rembrandt and Vermeer.
5. Musée d’Orsay in Paris, France
In this museum, you can admire Impressionist/Post-Impressionist artworks. This exhibition is available through an interactive online tour.

Final Thoughts
There are many places for art lovers to explore and discover the visual arts. In every continent, there are cities where you can find fine museums and galleries. However, the Internet allows you to explore all these art collections without stepping out of your house. Most of these tours are very inspiring experiences.

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram for insta updates