Best Places to Appreciate Art Online

Art Online

While seeing art in person always offers that special something that pictures just can’t, sometimes you just can’t travel around to see all the famous works you want. Not to worry, however, as there are numerous places to see and learn about amazing art without leaving the house by perusing the web. Here are some sites that offer a wealth of culture and aesthetic appeal so you can get your fix of beautiful art and an online education without the budget to travel the world.

Galleries

Search through these galleries for up-and-coming artists and where to go to see artists you love.

1. One Art World: Find out about galleries, shows, artists and more on this site and see a great collection of images to whet your appetite as well.
2. Agora Gallery: Browse through the works on exhibition at this New York gallery on this site.
3. Gallery Nucleus: Look through online exhibits of contemporary artists and find merchandise to spruce up your home or dorm room on this site.
4. Matrix Fine Art: Check out this New Mexico gallery for some of the latest work by contemporary artists.
5. Chicago Art Galleries: If you’re going to be in Chicago and want to check out the River North gallery district or just want to browse galleries online, this site is a great resource.
6. Art Net Fine Art Galleries: On this site, you’ll find a listing by type of art of hundreds of galleries in the U.S. and around the world.
7. Art Collecting NY Art Galleries: This site provides you with easy access to the websites of hundreds of galleries located in downtown New York.
8. ArtScene: Head back to this site regularly to see what’s going on in the Los Angeles art scene, and see what’s up at local galleries.
9. Saatchi Gallery: Here you’ll find access to some of the works displayed at this relatively new British gallery.
10. Palazzo Grassi: Learn more about this public gallery supported by Francois Pinault on this site.

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Museums

Take a virtual field trip to these huge museums through the resources they offer on their sites.

1. The Louvre: Home to the famous Mona Lisa, this museum houses the largest collection of fine art in the world. If you don’t want to brave the travel or the long lines, check out their website instead.
2. Metropolitan Museum of Art: Take a virtual trip to New York to take in some of the famous works held by this large museum.
3. The Getty Museum: Located in Los Angeles, this museum is home to works by some of the world’s most well-known artists.
4. Musee D’Orsay: With an impressive collection of Impressionist works, this museum is a must-see for those who love French art.
5. Uffizi Gallery: This gallery, designed by Vasari, has been around since the 1500’s and today houses some of the most famous works of European art.
6. Art Institute of Chicago: After opening it’s modern wing in 2009, this museum now boasts one of the largest collections of art in the world.
7. Tate Modern: If modern art is more your style, check out this museums’ architecture and impressive collection of art.
8. Prado Museum: Get a glimpse into the great art collection of Spanish royalty at the Prado, with works by Titan, Goya, Valazquez and more.
9. National Gallery of Art: See some great works of American art on the highly interactive site of this museum.
10. Guggenheim Museum: If modern, avant garde and contemporary art is what you love best, consider seeing what’s on exhibit at this world-renowned museum.

Portfolios

If you’re looking to find some less famous artists to inspire you, these free online portfolios are a great place to start.

1. artspan: Use this site to find websites and portfolios created by contemporary artists.
2. deviantART: Users can post their own work and comment on that of others on this site.
3. Art Break: Through this site, you’ll be able to browse artwork that a wide variety of artists have for sale.
4. AskART: This site will not only help you find artwork to look at, but tell you how much it’s worth as well.
5. Coroflot: See some truly great design portfolios on this site.
6. ArtistPortfolio.net: Look through the portfolios on this site to pinpoint artists that may have a chance at being well-known in the future.
7. Mosaic Globe: With photos, paintings, sculptures and more, this site is a great place to look for high quality art.
8. VoodooChili: Use this site to find portfolios by artists who are just emerging as talents.
9. Absolute Arts: Through this resource, you’ll find artist portfolios from artists who are more established as well as those who are just starting out.
10. Artist Listing: Look through the featured artists on this site to see a sampling of the talent that can be found.

Online Exhibitions

If you can’t make it out in person, you can take in these art exhibitions online instead.

1. World Art Treasures: See the hundreds of thousands of images art enthusiast and world traveler Jacques-Édouard Berger brought back with him on this site.
2. Library of Congress Exhibits: Through this site you can see art exhibits that trace the history of America.
3. James McNeill Whistler Interactive: This online exhibition from the Smithsonian lets you see into the life and work of this famous American artist.
4. Glenn Ligon: Annotations: This work by contemporary artist Glenn Ligon was made to be seen online, and asks you the viewer to participate.
5. Outsider Art: Use this site to see a wide range of outsider art, something major galleries might not be willing to carry.
6. Art Crimes: The Writing on the Wall: If you love graffiti, give this site a try to see the best works from around the world.
7. The Visual Front: This exhibition displays some of the most provocative propaganda images created during the Spanish Civil War.
8. Design and the Elastic Mind: Take an amazing, interactive look into the way design works with the brain in this exhibition from the MOMA.
9. Without Bounds or Limits: An Online Exhibition of the Plan of Chicago: See Chicago as it was originally designed to be, with mile after mile of beautifully landscaped lakefront, with this great online showing of Burnham’s plans.
10. The Making of a Polychrome Sculpture: With this site, you’ll be able to see not only the artwork, but how it was made as well.

Miscellaneous Tools

Use these tools to find and better understand the art you love.

1. Artcyclopedia: If you need to look up an artist, period or work, this site is the ideal place to find resources on it.
2. History of Art Virtual Library: Learn more about the history of art through this site.
3. Art History Research Centre: Those doing any kind of art research will find this reference link collection a lifesaver.
4. World Wide Arts Resources: On this site you’ll find links to research information and images that can help you study art.
5. All the Time Art: Find out where to go to see and buy art from this site.

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