Virtual Art Exhibitions

National Gallery London

Lockdown saw art galleries shut down, sending artworks behind closed doors. My immediate reaction was one of frustration that I wouldn’t get to see the exhibitions I’d earmarked. That sent me to my laptop where I discovered the profusion of virtual tours available. And not just in my home territory, I can visit galleries all over the world.

I took a trip to the Getty Museum in New York where I saw the magnificent tapestry from ‘The Story of the Emperor of China’, commissioned and woven in France in the late 1600s. Zoom onto sections of the piece and there is a succinct summary of what is going on and why it’s significant.

London’s National Gallery has three different tours, two on its Renaissance paintings. Or there’s a close up and view of Vincent van Gogh’s bedroom in Arles.

A virtual tour is a different experience to being at the gallery in person. But with the world’s best art on tap at the click of a mouse, I’m happy to browse away.