As an artist, it’s a real treat to watch other people create, whether it be a sketch, painting or sculpture. I am in love with the “process” or seeing how they do it. The abundance of internet sites and mobile apps have made it easy for me to watch hundreds of talented people show their skills. (Thank goodness for Vimeo and YouTube as well as Instagram.) But what about the masters of the past? All we have left of their legacy is artwork hidden away in museums or private collections. Usually I can find a low res scan of “The Starry Night” on some poster website otherwise I need to hop on a plane and head to the MOMA in New York. And even then, I highly doubt security is going to let me get TOO close to the original.
So I present Google Art Project.
I can’t tell you how awesome this site is for me. Google has over 32000+ pieces of artwork available to zoom in at high resolution INCLUDING my favorites like Van Gogh’s “The Starry Night” and Monet’s Footbridge. Having studied many of these works in grueling Art History classes, let me tell you, an old slide projector doesn’t hold a candle to this type of viewing. Being able to see the paint strokes, parts of the canvases, the direction and impasto, it is amazing.
What a wonderful way to preserve the past.