Anyone who’s ever been to Paris knows that arriving at the Louvre at 5.30am, elbowing your way through throngs of iPhone wielding tourists, seeing the Mona Lisa, realising it’s the size of a goddamn postage stamp and going ‘huh, that’s interesting’ is a necessary evil for travelers.
But what if it didn’t need to be?
If you’re lazy, afraid of crowds or just straight-up don’t have the funds to travel the world, all of which are entirely valid ways to be, then Google’s newly-unveiled Museum View may be the answer to your problems.
Per ABC News, Museum View is a part of Google’s Cultural Institute, which aims to preserve the great collections of the world in digital format, and make virtual tours accessible to everyone.
Google strapped special Street View backpacks to volunteers, then set them loose in some of the world’s most renowned museums. capturing 360-degree panoramic images of the interiors.
This morning, we had a bit of a poke around the Musee D’Orsay in Paris. It was a bit like wrestling with a ’90s point and click adventure game at times, but we came away from the experience feeling mad cultured.
A number of Australian collections are already online, including the Art Gallery Of New South Wales, the National Gallery Of Australia, the Queensland Museum and the Australian War Memorial.
Popular London destinations like the Tate Modern and The National Gallery are also available to explore, along with a lot of famous European and American collections.
Nothing can replace the physical sensation of being surrounded by art, but a lot of great stuff just became a whole lot more accessible.
Photo: AFP via Getty Images
