Art appreciation is a form of meditation, and in that sense, art museums could be the ultimate destinations for mental empowerment and reverie. In many cases, it can even boost your own creativity. For those who strongly want to see artistic masterpieces and artifacts with their own naked eyes, the museums and art galleries mentioned below are top picks to achieve the most surreal experience:
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This museum is located at the center of Beijing, China. Historically and artistically one of the most comprehensive museums in China, it was established on the basis of the Forbidden City, a palace of the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties. It is a treasure house of rare and valuable items and contains the country’s largest collection of ancient artworks.
Ceramics, paintings, bronzeware, timepieces, and items made from jade are the most common pieces found in the museum. The Palace Museum holds nearly two million artifacts and includes 1.6 million items designated as nationally protected “valuable cultural relics.”
British Museum (United Kingdom)
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Visiting the British Museum is an enriching experience. It is a modern-day time machine where visitors can get a glimpse of the past by reading through the interesting and unbelievable stories of its numerous sculptures and ancient artifacts.
The British Museum was established by an Act of Parliament in 1753. It is regarded to be the very first national public museum in the U.K., located in Bloomsbury, London. Sir Hans Sloane, a reputed physician, scientist, and avid art collector bequeathed his collection (mostly books, antiquities, and natural specimens) to the nation in his will and became the very first items on display at the museum.
Over the course of time, the museum has been renovated and expanded in order to accommodate the growing collections (which now number in millions) and the increasing number of visitors.
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The Louvre Museum is the largest art museum and one of the most iconic monuments in Paris, France. Louvre houses some of the best known pieces of art in the world, such as the Mona Lisa Painting by Leonardo da Vinci, Winged Victory of Samothrace from Greece, and Michaelangelo’s Dying Slave.
The main entrance to the Louvre Museum is a pyramid-shaped structure made of transparent glass and metal designed by Chinese-American architect I.M. Pei. Furthermore, the museum contains more than 380,000 exhibit objects and 35,000 individual artworks. It is a giant museum that attracts massive crowds everyday.