Last month Google released yet another educational resource, Google Art Project. The Art Project provides Google maps street view-like access to seventeen of “the world’s most acclaimed art museums.” While few would argue accessing the Google Art Project online replaces encountering the physical object, it does provide access to these works and museums that most in the world would never have the opportunity to see in person. Google includes a high-resolution zoom that brings you close enough to see brush strokes and cracks in the paint. In some instances, you are able to get an even closer view through the Art Project than you would be permitted to stand in front of the piece at the museum.
The participating museums have not permitted access to all of their works. As you tour through a museum, you will encountered some blurred out works. The biggest criticism would be the search functionality is not what one expects from Google. You can only search one museum at a time. It would be a much more useful tool if you could search all available works from all seventeen museums instead of searching them individually.
While it is kind of cool to be able to walk the halls of great museums, it is not necessary to access these great works of art. Some commentators have surmised the Art Project is a beta test and taking the street-level view to these museums is the future of Google Maps, eventually providing directions and views inside of public buildings. The Google Art Project is not a panacea for all art connoisseurs, but certainly a welcome resource for those who will never have the opportunity to visit many of these museums in person.
