Google has launched a new discovery tool, called Art Project, that lets users explore 17 of the world’s most well-known museums. With the new tool, people use Google’s StreetView interface to “walk” through museum halls and explore different artworks. Users can choose a specific piece and check out the on-screen information pane for background info. Some of the images are digitized so exhaustively that individual paint strokes and hairline cracks in the surface will be visible.
Google says it plans on expanding its museum coverage, but for now it has more than 1,000 images for users to explore. Explore museums from around the world, discover and view hundreds of artworks at incredible zoom levels, and even create and share your own collection of masterpieces.
For now the following museums are included in the project:
- Alte Nationalgalerie, Berlin – Germany
- Freer Gallery of Art, Smithsonian, Washington DC – USA
- The Frick Collection, NYC – USA
- Gemäldegalerie, Berlin – Germany
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art, NYC – USA
- MoMA, The Museum of Modern Art, NYC – USA
- Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid – Spain
- Museo Thyssen – Bornemisza, Madrid – Spain
- Museum Kampa, Prague – Czech Republic
- National Gallery, London – UK
- Palace of Versailles – France
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam – The Netherlands
- The State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg – Russia
- State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow – Russia
- Tate Britain, London – UK
- Uffizi Gallery, Florence – Italy
- Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam – The Netherlands
Links – Visit Google Art Project