5 of the best
online museums to virtually visit while staying safe inside
VATICAN MUSEUM 1Visit museivaticani.va
One of the world’s most eyepoppingly beautiful human creations can be explored in a series of 360-degree virtual tours. Some 20,000 works of art are on show, including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and most important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world. The museums were founded in the early 16th century by Pope Julius II, their bestknown single attraction being the Sistine Chapel, its ceiling decorated by Michelangelo and reflecting the contact of humanity with the divine. The online tour enables the ceiling to be viewed in remarkable detail, without having to crane the neck. The Stanze di Raffaello, decorated by Raphael, is also a prominent feature.
THE LOUVRE 2Visit louvre.fr
The world’s largest art museum is known for blending the classical with the modern - that glass pyramid still looks strikingly fresh - and it’s embraced online technology with a certain élan. Discover artworks from Delacroix, Rembrandt and Tintoretto in a tour of an exhibition called The Advent of the Artist, which can be wandered through at leisure. Its extensive collection of Egyptian antiquities is also available to view, with certain artefacts clickable, bringing up more information. The Louvre’s origins as a fortress built by the French king Philippe Auguste are also there to be explored, giving a taste of medieval Paris, while the lush Galerie d’Apollon is a masterpiece in itself: its spectacular ceiling can be scrolled along. The online experience is a little disjointed but will doubtless yield some fascinating discoveries
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM 3OF ART
Visit artsandculture.google. com/streetview/metropolitanmuseum-of-art
The largest art musuem in the USA is now open to the world. It’s teamed up with Google, which enables online visitors to explore the trove of treasures in the manner of Google’s popular Streetview feature. The permanent collection consists of works of art from classical antiquity and ancient Egypt, paintings, and sculptures from nearly all the European masters, and an extensive collection of American and modern art.
4D’ORSAY Visit artsandculture.google. com/streetview/ musée-d’orsay-paris
MUSÉE
One of the true gems of Paris, the Musée d’Orsay houses the largest collection of impressionist and postImpressionist masterpieces in the world, by painters including Monet, Manet, Degas, Renoir, Cézanne, Seurat, Sisley, Gauguin, and Van Gogh. But there’s even more to it than the great works it houses, for the building is a work of art in itself. It was originally a railway station, and its distinctive arches and wondrous clock bring a wealth of charm and character to the visit, in person or online.
RIJKSMUS5EUM Visit artsandculture. google.com/ streetview/ rijksmuseum
Legendary works by Rembrandt, Van Gogh, and other Dutch masters are on view here in one of Amsterdam’s most popular attractions. Once again, Google has made it easy to stroll around, with close-ups and details of thousands of works available to browse - all at your own pace, while dodging the crowds.