Add a bit of culture into your next holiday with a trip to a world-renowned art gallery. The most famous art galleries attract millions of visitors every year so you’ll be in great company. Just plan your trip carefully to ensure you get to see your chosen art collections. Arrive early to beat the organized tours, check ahead for opening times and offers and read up on some of the art so you can really appreciate the works. And these are eight beautiful art collections to get you started;
8. The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt – Fans of ancient Egyptian arts and artifacts will be in their element at the Egyptian Museum in Cairo which has the world’s largest collected collections of ancient Egyptian artifacts. The collection includes pieces that have been recovered from the tomb of Tutankhamun featuringg some 1,700 items including his gold funerary mask.
7. National Gallery, Washington DC, USA – The National Gallery is one of America’s most respected museums and showcases works from the thirteenth century onwards including paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and works on paper. There is a collection of Western paintings and sculptures that dates from the Middle Ages right up to the 18th century which is showcased in the palatial neoclassical period West Building. Whereas the East Building is reserved for the more modern side to art.
6. Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy – The world famous Uffizi Gallery is home to an astounding collection of medieval and Renaissance sculptures and paintings. There are thousands of pieces of art to explore, which tell the tale of Italy through the ages, including Roman and Greek sculptures, Renaissance and Baroque paintings. The highlight of many visits are the famous Botticelli, Birth of Venus and Titian, Venus of Urbino which attract large crowds..
5. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA – Definitely one of the must-do things when in New York, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or simply the Met, is massive. There is a comprehensive European art collection which contains works from the Romans to Renoir including some key pieces by all the masters. There are also works from Egypt, Africa, the Middle East and Oceania, as well as a large American art collection.
4. Pushkin Fine Arts Museum, Moscow, Russia – The Pushkin Fine Art Museum features a massive collection of fine Western art including Impressionist and Post-Impressionist pieces of art and an impressive collection of French Impressionist works.
3. Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia – For an amazing collection of Russian and human art and artifacts, then head to the impressive Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. The collections are so huge that they fill six buildings including the Baroque Winter Palace, which showcases works from Dutch Masters. The Hermitage was the first purpose built art gallery within Eastern Europe and their collection swelled in size with key pieces from personal collections of the Tzars and now numbers some 3 million pieces. Don’t miss the Russian regalia collection, Faberge pieces and key works from da Vinci, Monet, Renoir, Gauguin, Rodin, Rembrandt, Michelangelo and Rubens.
2. Victoria & Albert Museum, London, UK – The UK is fortunate to be home to some great museums; British Museum, Tate Modern and Tate Britain in London, the Lowry Centre in Manchester and the National Gallery of Scotland in Edinburgh. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London features exquisite collections of decorative arts from Britain’s national collections. The works include ceramics, photography, glass, jewelry, textiles and other pieces as well as guest collections.
1. Louvre Museum, Paris, France – Probably the most famous art gallery in the world, The Louvre used to be the Royal Palace of Paris. The iconic glass pyramid structure now houses a vast collection of works including Renaissance pieces; the Mona Lisa, works by Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli and Titian. There is also the antiquities section, home to the Venus de Milo and the Winged Victory as well as 19th century French masterpieces.
