Visiting Museums

It’s not a secret that Internet is a great effective source of different information, and if one does not have time or physical opportunity to visit a museum or gallery and enjoy its collections, now it is possible to do this using Internet. A great deal of the world’s museums and art galleries have own Internet sites and present their collections online for everyone to see. Also, such sites usually have a lot of educational information about the artists and their main artworks, different artistic styles and so on. In my opinion, the site of the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the most attractive and interesting from the four sties I was looking through. From its first page designed in warm grey and purple tones, the viewer can see and feel the atmosphere of a museum. The site contains a huge database collection, as well as rich educational resources. Tate Online is another very interesting site. This Internet resource is very easy to navigate and anyone can find a necessary item of its collection without a problem. I would, certainly, go to both of these museums after visiting their web-sites. Two other sites are poorer in their design and have obvious lack of artistic approach to the presentation of the materials. I liked the site of the Museum of Modern Art, because it is well-illustrated and has a clear and plane organization. However, it is a bit overloaded with different information and its visitors can get confused. Finally, I have to say that the site of the museum El Museo Del Barrio is too very simple and colorless, so one may think that it is the site of a library or a governmental institution. To my mind, if the employees of this museum want to attract public attention, they should make a better site. Looking through the Internet databases of the Metropolitan Museum, I was especially impressed by the work of Robert Swain Gifford Near the Coast. This painting mesmerizes with its realistic presentation of a coastline in stormy weather. Gray and very low clouds swinging over the shoreline substantially narrow the perspective of the painting and make the observer feel a little distressed, melancholic and, maybe, even feel cold. On the Internet pages of Tate Museum I found the work of Sir David Wilkie The Blind Fiddler. The author focuses on the emotions of the people who are listening to the playing of the fiddler. It seems like only little children are really impressed and response to the music. However, the adults at the painting are deepened in their own problems or thoughts. This work is a beautiful example of classic art presenting social motifs. Finally, the online collection of the Museum of Modern Art contains a lot of interesting works of modern styles, but I paid attention on a drawing of a French artist Charles Camoin Seated Woman. This drawing was made simply with ink and brush on a paper, but it really impressed me with the exact forms and perfect lines of the woman’s silhouette. Despite the simplicity of this work, it is quite deep and very realistic. Certainly, watching artworks in virtual galleries and in real life are two absolutely different experiences. When observing the artworks in museum, broad daylight gives us the opportunity to enjoy their true deep colors and facture. In museum it is possible to see better the forms and details of cubic content of three-dimensional artworks. Also, one can observe the paintings in close approach and enjoy every line or brush-touch. Besides, sometimes the entourage of the museum advantages the artworks and makes them look more beautiful. I used to be an appreciator of classic style in arts, but after visiting the web-sites of these museums I got interested and impressed with some modern artworks, especially drawings and paintings of modern artists in Tate Museum. That is why I will certainly look for modern art exhibitions and visit them with my friends or family. Works Cited: El Museo. El Museo Del Barrio. 5 Apr. 2008