Art galleries are ideal platform for displaying visual arts, be it painting, sculpture, or photography. Art galleries are a collected culmination of endurance, time, effort, and tastes of many generations, in order to depict the diverse arts and cultures of various ages. Therefore, be it contemporary or traditional Fine Arts, art galleries house all. Promoting emerging artists of all ages, art galleries give them too a chance to flaunt their artworks, at times amidst internationally renowned artists. Committed to excellence in art, the top 10 art galleries proffer you a rich, memorable experience. This article tries to picture the top ten galleries of the world.
1. Musee Du Louvre, Paris. The Louvre of Paris is one of the most visited art museums of France. From its beginning as a royal fortress to the public gallery that we see today, Louvre, with it architectural superiority and one of the most stunning artistic collections, has dominated Paris ever since its establishment. The artworks on display in this art gallery have a universal appeal that strike a chord on all their spectators. Some exceptional paintings the museum houses include, Jacques-Louis David’s “The Coronation of Napoleon,” Hyacinth Rigaud’s “Louis XIV,” and Leonardo da Vinci’s “Mono Lisa” & “The Virgin on the Rock.”
2. The National Gallery, London. London’s National Gallery is an enthralling exhibition of the Western European art, where history is depicted and is well preserved. Founded in 1824, the art gallery houses a rich collection of over 2300 paintings belonging to 13th to 18th century. The gallery has always been a centre of criticism and controversy for not planning an effective management of space & on policies considering the preservation and the restorations of the artworks. Some imperative artworks are, Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Virgin Of The Rock” & “Burlington House Cartoon,” Raphael’s “Portraits of Pope Julius II” & “The Madonna of Pinks,” and Michelangelo’s “The Entombment” & “The Manchester Madonna.”
3. Museo Del Prado, Madrid. An art gallery in the capital city of Spain, it displays the stupendous & the royal Spanish anthology. It has an elaborate collection of approximately 5000 drawings, 2000 prints, 2000 decorative & work of arts, and 1000 coins & medals. The gallery houses one of the finest collections of Spanish paintings, especially by Diego Velázquez, Francisco Goya, and El Greco. The artworks are, Velázquez’s “Las Meninas,” Francisco de Goya’s “La maja desnuda,” Roiger Vander Weydon’s “Descent of Christ from Cross,” “Self Portrait” by Albrecht Durer, and Hieronymus Bosch’s “The Garden of Earthly Delight.”
4. The Metropolitan Museum, New York. This North American art gallery has a colossal collection of about 2 million artworks and is considered the largest in its genre. The collection includes but is not limited to, classical antiquity & ancient Egyptian art; sculptures of European masters; American (“Portrait of George Washington” by Gilbert & works of Winslow Homer, George Caleb Bingham, & John Singer); modern art; African; Asian (Chinese calligraphy and painting including Nepalese and Tibetan works); Oceanic (Australian Aboriginal Rock Paintings); Byzantine & Islamic (miniature painting from Iran & Mughal India); & Greek & Roman (Euphronios Krates & Amanthus Sarcophagus) art; and a wide assortment of the musical instruments of the world.
5. Sao Paulo Museum of Art, Brazil. Sao Paulo Museum of Brazil in Latin America is a prominent building that houses an exquisite collection of Latin American works, dating back to World War II. Some of the artworks in the gallery are, Raphael’s “Resurrection of Christ,” Rembrandt’s “Self Portrait with Golden Chain,” Brazilian art (Nicholas Tarsilao Amaral) & Brasiliana, Latin American (Torres Garcia, Gilbert Stuart), & North European paintings.
6. National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne. This gallery is one of the oldest and the largest in Australia, displaying over 63,000 artworks. The art gallery also conducts an art school, which has turned out to be an Alma Mater of many renowned Australian artists. The art gallery includes the works of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Marco Palmezzano, and Rembrandt.
7. State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. A famous pool of Russian fine art in the world, this gallery exhibits the ranges from “Theotokos” of Vladimir & Andrei Rubler’s “Trinity” to the monumental “Composition VII” by Wassily Kandinsky, and “The Black Square” of Kazimir Malevich. The art gallery also possesses a fine collection of socialist realism sculptures such as Yevgeny Vuchetich’s Iconic statue of “Iron Felix.”
8. National Archaeological Museum, Athens. An extended collection of artifacts from the archeological locations of Greece, covering prehistoric art to late antiquity, this great museum is an ideal place for the students of archeology. Established in 1829, the museum is an imposing Neo-classical building, which was quite popular in Europe then. It displays a wide range of prehistoric art, sculpture collections, Santorni findings, Stathatos collection, Vlastos collections, Egyptian art, and Near East antiquity.
9. Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney. This public gallery in Sydney exhibits Australian (settlements to contemporary), Asian, and European art. Some famous works on display in the art gallery are, Ford Madox Brown’s “Chaucer at the court of Edward III,” Streeton’s “Fire’s on.” Other Australian works displayed are those of John Glover, Arthur Streeton, Rupert Bunny, and Roland Wakelin.
10. Vatican Museum in Rome. In the 16th century, Pope Julius II founded this Roman Museum, displaying a huge collection of Roman Catholic Church. The notable collections of the art gallery include Caravaggio’s Entombment, Leonardo da Vinci’s “Portrait of Saint Jerome,” and Raphael’s masterpiece, “The School of Athens.”
