Top 20 Museums Every Artist & Art Lover Should Visit
The following list features the top 20 museums of the world which should be on the must-visit list of every artist. From Paris to Los Angeles, Madrid to New York and Tokyo to Cairo, we’ve got all the coveted destinations covered. Check them out.
1. Musee du Louvre (The Louvre), Paris
Musee du Louvre or The Louvre has to appear at the top in any list of museums. And rightly so. It is undoubtedly the most famous and the most visited museum of the world. Located in Paris, it used to be a royal palace which was later tuned into a museum.
Louvre houses some of the finest and costliest pieces of art which include masterpieces like Leonardo Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. It’s easily a must visit for any artist.
2. Tate Modern, London
Tate Modern houses an amazing collection of international modern and contemporary art. The museum, which was once the Bankside Power Station, is located on the banks of river Thames in London, near the Millennium Bridge.
This museum has an impressive collection of modern and abstract art which include a huge collection of Surrealism art. You can find the work of eminent artists like Salvador Dali and their masterpieces here.
3. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, also known as The Met is a well known art museum located at the Museum Mile road in New York City. It is one of the world’s biggest museums and houses an enormous collection artwork, paintings, sculptures and much more.
You’ll find ancient Islamic and Egyptian art, Greek and Roman sculptures, works of legends like Picasso…almost any work of art a budding artist fantasizes about. If you love art, you have to visit this place.
4. British Museum, London
The British Museum in London is another huge museum that houses millions of artwork, sculptures, paintings, antiques and more. It is said to have more than 7 million objects, one of the largest and most diverse collection in the world. Established in 1753 by Sir Hans Sloane, the museum is famous for its extraordinary collection of Egyptian art and antiques which can’t be found anywhere else in the world apart from the museums in Egypt.
5. J. Paul Getty Center, Los Angeles
J. Paul Getty Center or The Getty Center in Los Angeles, California has a great collection of pre-20th century drawings and paintings from artists like Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne and Monet. The main attraction is the world renowned painting Irises by Van Gogh.
The museum’s building and architecture itself is a feast for the eyes. Surrounded by beautiful gardens and an amazing view of Los Angeles, the museum is a major tourist attraction of the city.
6. National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
The National Gallery of Art is a famous art museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It is divided into two buildings – East and West. The East Building houses a collection of international modern and contemporary art and includes works of Pollock, Picasso, Andy Warhol among others. The West Building on the other hand has paintings of Van Gogh, Leonardo da Vinci and a vast collection of paintings and sculptures.
7. Musee d’Orsay, Paris
The Musee d’Orsay museum is located on the left bank of river Seine in Paris, France. The museum building used to be a railway station named Gare d’Orsay and houses an extensive collection of French art. One of Van Gogh’s most famous paintings Starry Night can be found in this museum.
8. Vatican Museums, Vatican City
The Vatican Museums in Vatican City, Rome are probably the most exquisite museums in the world. Featuring the huge collection by Roman Catholic Church over a period of several hundred years, it has artworks of Raphael, Leonardo Da Vinci and of course the Sistine Chapel where you can find the amazing ceiling frescos by Michelangelo.
9. Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris
The first thing that’ll catch your eyes when you visit the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris is the unique design of the museum building. It features a modern, hi-tech design comprised of heavy steel structures. Also known as Beaubourg, this museum is only second to the Louvre in the number of visitors it attracts every year.
10. Prado Museum, Madrid
Madrid’s Prado Museum (or the Museo del Prado) is one of the most famous art museums in Europe and is known for its impressive collection of Spanish artwork and European art. You can view works of Velasquez, El Greco, Goya and many other well known Spanish and European artists in this museum.
11. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy is one of the oldest as well as the most exquisite museums of the world. As you walk through the Piazza della Signoria while approaching the main museum, you can behold some amazing sculptures and statues. The museum features some great works and masterpieces by Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticello and more. The most famous among them are of course Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera.
12. State Hermitage Museum, St Petersburg
The State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersberg, Russia is another very large museum comprising of six buildings and 3 million objects. In fact it is easily one of the largest museums of the world. It has over 3 million paintings and artworks. No surprise it has its name in the Guinness Book for the largest painting collection in the world.
13. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois is known for its impressive collection of Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art along with an extensive collection of American and European art. The works of Monet are the major attraction.
14. The Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, Cairo
If you are interested in Egyptian art then the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, also known as Egyptian Museums in Cairo, Egypt is the place you should aim for. It houses the most extensive collection of Egyptian art in the world. And if you’ve liked the movie “The Mummy”, you’d love to see some real mummies in the museum. (You won’t find them doing the walking and talking though!)
15. Museum Of Modern Art, Manhattan, New York
Manhattan’s Museum Of Modern Art (MoMA) is known to have the best collection of modern art in the world. Modern and contemporary art fans could easily spend an entire day in the museum absorbed in the amazing collection of drawings, paintings, sculptures, books, photography and various other forms of media.
The museum also has a huge library and an excellent restaurant which is aptly named ‘The Modern’.
16. Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo
The Tokyo National Museum in Tokyo, Japan is the country’s oldest and largest museum which primarily features Asian and Japanese art. It is divided into five exhibition buildings that showcase ancient Japanese pottery, sculptures, metal works, drawings and much more.
17. The National Gallery of London, London
The National Gallery of London at Trafalgar Square in London has a remarkable collection of European art, especially paintings from the 13th and 14th centuries to the 19th century. It has arguably the world’s best collection of Western European paintings and features all the great names and their works.
18. Philadelphia Museum Of Art, Philadelphia
One of the best art museums in America, the Philadelphia Museum Of Art in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia houses many notable collections that includes the biggest collection of Philadelphia’s renowned artist, Thomas Eakins. Its collection of sculptures and decorative arts is certainly worth paying a visit to.
19. The Guggenheim Museum, New York
The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, commonly known as The Guggenheim Museum is not only one of the most well known museums in New York City, but also a sought after destination, thanks to its amazing architecture by Frank Lloyd Wright. Its focus on modernist art is evident from its inspiring, modern architecture.
20. The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Museum of Fine Arts in Boston is another museum in the U.S. which houses an extensive collection impressionist, post-impressionist, American, European and Egyptian art. The museum is huge and attracts over a million visitors each year.
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