Museum Living for the Financially Challenged

During my first semester as a freshman I had signed up for HISTART 275: 19^thCentury French Impressionism. On the first day of discussion, the GSI asked everyone to go around and name, hometown, favorite artist, and museum. Since going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art is not exactly impressive when you live a short train ride away, I decided to reflect back upon my one trip to Europe (as an awkward 13 year old) and disclosed that my favorite museum had been Monet’s house and garden in Giverny, France. Though I was naively satisfied with myself, it turned out that my classmates were plotting the same move (since they were all from New York). However, instead of listing super touristy spots like Giverny or the Louvre (which I visited, but don’t remember a single thing from because my brother hijacked the visit with one of his food tantrums), they started throwing out obscure museums from Germany, Spain, and Italy – three countries that were not included on the Srinivasans Take Europe Tour 2004 and probably won’t be the destination of any trips in the near future on account of my empty pockets.

Understanding my plight, Google has recently launched a great new site called “Art Project,” which lets you revisit museums that you’ve forgotten (like the Louvre), and lets you take a look at the collections of museums you wished you had visited (like the Uffizi Gallery) from the comfort of your dorm room bed. However, this isn’t just a website containing thousands of slides of famous paintings. Unlike other art collection sites, Art Project also allows the viewer to explore the museum itself through 360 degree viewing of gallery rooms and museum architecture. Additionally, this site allows users to compile their own list of favorite works/museums and share it with other users. Not only is Art Project a great study tool (for all you History of Art Majors out there), but it is also a great way to spend a lazy Sunday morning :) 

Check out the following link and tell me what you think: http://www.googleartproject.com/