The world is suffering at the hands of the novel Coronavirus. Maybe we are at a turning point in human civilization. If not anything, this pandemic tends to change the future timeline of humankind. It is good that we have the technology to our rescue. The ecosystem around us is stressed and filled with worry. As important as it is to get physical relief, it is equally important to get relief from mental stress.
Art is a great medium to free the mind of stress. When museums and art galleries are shut down, technology has allowed us to explore Art while sitting inside our homes safe and sound. Today we have brought to you the top 10 museums in Europe you can explore via virtual tours.
1) Guggenheim, Bilbao
Guggenheim’s Museum in Bilbao, Spain is curated and architectured by Frank Gehry. Hailed as one of the most important buildings of the 20th Century, Guggenheim Bilbao houses remarkable pieces of art. Starting from the mid 20th Century to contemporary times, Frank has attempted to glorify Bilbao’s rich naval and industrial heritage.
Guggenheim allows virtual home tours for individuals and schools further, helping the students and educators from . These tours are headed by professional museum educators all the while helping students explore the works of Solomon R. Guggenheim, Marc Chagall, and others. Basically, these are audio narratives talking about the museum and pieces of art present in it. You can access the official tour page and click on the premade audio tours available.
2) The Vatican Museum, Vatican City
There is no wonder that visiting Rome is on your bucket list. Well, until the time we get to cross international borders again, you can take a tour of the majority of the popular sites here including the museums. Starting with The Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Room, Chiaramonti Museum, Niccoline Chapel and others are accessed via a virtual tour.
Every inch of these Vatican Museums is flooded with creativity and intricate murals, sculptures, and arches throughout. The ability to look at pieces of art in 360° is really a blessing. Each chapel provides a glimpse of the rich history of the Christain faith, they depict the stories of Moses, Christ, and Popes. This tour is divided into 7 different segments each individually available 24*7 via the internet. There is a lot to see and explore here from the Pio Clementino Museum to the Room of Chiaroscuri. You can move with the tour in an interactive manner exploring every inch and corner of the pre-recorded areas.
3) Natural History Museum, London
A virtual tour of the Natural History Museum is like a dream come true for some. This is also a perfect time to let your kids explore the evolution of the flora and fauna. Know Hope the whale’s journey, listen to the legendary Sir David Attenborough narrate the nuances of Hintze Hall’s star specimens, all the while observing the diversity of the species on display.
Each tour of the rooms and regions is filled with trivia and interesting facts that will keep the kids entertained throughout. One of the most attractive exhibitions is that of Dippy the Dinosaur, who had left the museum in 2018 for a world tour (bad luck that he is now stuck in Rochdale). Further, with the help of Google Arts and Culture tours, you can get a detailed view of the 300,000 exhibitions via 14 digital tours.
4) Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
How about getting access to 80 galleries of art and creativity. The Rijksmuseum was renovated in the year 2013 and added with modern lighting. You can be up close with the pieces of art in the Gallery of Honour, home of Rembrandt’s, The Night Watch, and the Jewish Bride.
More works by Vermeer and other Dutch creatives are also accessible at the Great Hall. These galleries can be accessed via the Rijksmuseum app (available on iOS and Android) from where any person can get access to multimedia tours. The best part is that you can also create your own virtual tours with the official application.
5) Musée d’Orsay, Paris
Musee d’Orsay houses the largest impressionist and post-impressionist works themed around the French Revolution. With the 138-meter glass roof being one of the most striking features, Musee d’Orsay houses famous works of various French Artists including Monet, Cezanne, and a few others. The timeline of these works of art ranges from 1848 to 1914. So, you will be exploring the French history depicted in the form of neoclassical tradition which was based on linear purity.
You can take the virtual interactive tour via Google Arts and Culture. Along with this, there are hundreds of paintings and exhibits available on this platform for you to observe and look at.
6) British Museum, London
If you want to look at how mankind progressed all through the ages of mankind, this is where you will get to see it. Believe it or not, this is one of the best times to look at human history and understand where we went wrong to see this day. London is a hotspot for diversity and it is a pool of different cultures. In that, the British Museum presents the perfect opportunity for everyone sitting in their homes to explore different subjects relating to mankind. This includes religion, art, culture, conflict and others.
However, what you will love the most is the virtual tour of 3212 glass panes at display in this museum. What is unique about them is that all these panes of glass are different from each other. No, two glass panes are the same and you can get access to each one of them individually via a virtual tour.
7) National Gallery, London
The virtual tour to the National Gallery in London is accessible via Google Virtual Tour. More importantly, this is the place where you will get to explore Renaissance art and painting to the more contemporary forms of painting of the 20th Century. Pop Art, Abstraction, Expressionism, Dada and others. All these painting styles are on display and can be accessed via a virtual tour or 360° display from the desktop, mobile or a tablet.
The paintings at display are housed in 7 exhibition spaces. From Renaissance Art to the Central Hall, there are a lot of stories to be seen and many perspectives to be understood here.
8) Tate Gallery, London
This London based gallery displays the words of some of the greatest artists of Britain in a chronological order. The virtual tour is divided into 12 rooms or segments. You can simply take a walk through these 12 rooms. Right from the middle of the 16th Century to the present day, there is a lot of art and creativity to explore here.
The Modern art gallery is another striking feature of the virtual tour provided by the Tate Museum. This is where you will get to understand modern art. Along with this, the “In the Studio” collection shows the correlation between the painter and the viewer’s perspective.
9) The Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
The works of Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most influential artists of the Western Culture and art is on display in this museum. This museum holds the world’s largest collections by Van Gogh. Apart from the amazing pieces of art by Van Gogh, you will also get to get a virtual tour of Vincent’s life.
Not only are these paintings a feast for the eyes of the adults, but there is a dedicated virtual tour for the kids. This tour is part entertaining and part educational. If you choose to take a virtual tour of this museum, ensure that you visit Unravel Van Gogh and you will be in for a surprise.
10) Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía
The national museum of Madrid, Spain is dedicated to Queen Sofia and this museum is home to the 20th Century modern art. The virtual tours or multimedia tours offered by them are a bit different. They are filled with videos and audio tours of the works at the display.
For the most part, the paintings at display are a form of Spanish Art. Works from the two of the greatest Spanish artists, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali is one of the major highlights of the museum. With the help of a great mix of both national and international collections, Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia is one of the largest museums of Modern and Contemporary Art.
Conclusion
These 10 European museums offer a great way to keep yourself busy and interact with art of all forms. You can get access to some of the greatest works of art like Guernica or La Vie by Piccaso. See what led Vincent Van Gogh to produce the most notable pieces of art like Sorrow and Wheatfield with Crows. From the start of mankind to the most modern and contemporary art, these museums are all set to take you on an amazing journey of creativity, excitement, and art.
If you liked this, you might also want to see the Top 10 Museums that can be visited through virtual tours in North America and also the Top 10 Museums that can be visited through virtual tours in South America.
So, are you ready?
