As we practice social distancing, all of
us who remain healthy can help ourselves and others by taking a moment to
breathe deep and appreciate the love and joy we share, if remotely. Toward that
end, we’re scheduling posts that uplift, guide, and unite us in these difficult
times.
From the comfort of your living room, enjoy great art from around the world: Excerpts from an article by Sebastian Smee in the Washington Post:
"Almost every U.S. art museum, big or small, has a website. Many of them are not only beautifully presented but also fantastic resources. Some offer virtual guided tours. Boston’s Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum even has a walk-through with its director of security, Anthony Amore, retracing the path taken by the thieves who broke into the museum on March 18, 1990.
In a more idle frame of mind, you can also browse your favorite museum’s permanent collection — and get a sense of the 90 to 95 percent of works not on display at any given time. Just type in the name of your favorite artist, or category of art, and press search.
Major museum websites also present expert audio about highlights of their collections. The Met produces short videos of contemporary artists talking about their favorite works. It’s a wonderful series. And all of this is just for starters.
But of course, the possibilities go way beyond the websites of art museums. If you want to learn a little — or a lot — about art, the Khan Academy and Smarthistory have terrific short videos about major artworks and bigger topics within art history. Either dip in and out according to your own whim or take a carefully curated course. You could lose yourself in these for months, if not years. It’s all easily available online and free.
Google Arts and Culture, which has its own app, is similarly impressive. You can take virtual tours of the world’s greatest museums and get insanely close up to some of the world’s most famous paintings."
