Art in Students Life

The role of art in the life of society at all times and among all peoples was extremely high. History has captured many cases when the perception of the beautiful became a direct impulse for certain achievements, for changing the way of life. The art has the ability to discover the talents of modern times. Relying on the forces of society, it continuously strives to conquer the horizons, carrying in itself a powerful emotional charge. All problems of the modern world such as fears, emotions, stressful states are refracted in contemporary art and color it in contrasting tones. Society with its swiftness and intensity with its help suggests a person to think about his role in it and about the meaning of being in such contradictory and changing conditions of the present. Therefore, we suggest that you for some time digress from your essay writing and other academic assignments and look through the list of the most significant museums and galleries every student (and even every intelligent person in general) should visit at least once in his life.

The Metropolitan Museum. New York

You probably heard about the Museum Mile, which is located in New York between Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. It is here that the best museums of the United States are collected. In this museum, you can find almost everything: from the artifacts of the Paleolithic to the objects of pop art which can be called a rarity. Here you will find a special hall, which gathered clothes, which were worn by the inhabitants of all five continents for seven centuries. There is also an exposition of art and architecture of medieval Europe, painting of the 12th-19th centuries of different countries. However, the main place here is allotted to American art.

Louvre. Paris

This central attraction of Paris, located on the right bank of the River Seine, is visited annually by about 9.5 million people. Before becoming a museum, the Louvre was a fortress and a palace of French kings. However, during the French Revolution, the National Constituent Assembly decided that the Louvre will be used as a museum where national masterpieces will be exhibited.

Hermitage. St. Petersburg

The Hermitage is the largest art and cultural-historical museum not only in Russia but all over the world. Initially, it was formed from the heritage of the private collection of the Russian Empress Catherine II. When the collection was already large enough, the Hermitage was formed and in 1852 was open to visitors, being at that time Imperial.

However, the date of foundation of the museum is 1764. Today the museum has more than three million works of art and monuments of world culture. It is of a complex structure: six majestic buildings led by the widely known Winter Palace, which occupies the main exposition of the museum, are located along the embankment of the Neva River.

Rijksmuseum. Amsterdam

It is the main state museum of Holland. It is located in a huge ancient palace of the Neo-Gothic style with Burgundian towers and sculptural reliefs, which was built as far back as 1885. Its main exhibition is dedicated to the great Dutch artists of the XV-XVII centuries. Among them, you will meet such world names as Rembrandt, Vermeer, and De Hoch. However, the main expositions can be quickly looked at, starting with the main exhibit – the famous artwork produced by Rembrandt Night Watch. It is given a place of honor in the Gallery of Fame. And at the end of the museum marathon, you can go to Museumplein – a huge lawn area, with a wonderful view of the Museum Quarter.

Tate Modern. London

This gallery is the most popular gallery of contemporary art in the world, as every year it is visited by about 5.3 million people. Today the building of the gallery in its appearance still resembles a factory of the 20th century, both outside and inside. Therefore, when you go into the gallery, you are greeted by dark gray walls, steel beams, and concrete floors. Collections consist of works of contemporary art created in the period from 1900 to our days.

National Palace Museum, Taipei and Taibao 

This one of the national museums of the Republic of China has a permanent collection, consisting of approximately 696,000 ancient Chinese artifacts and works of art. The collection tells about more than 8000-year-old Chinese history from the Neolith to the end of the Qing dynasty. Most of the collection is formed by the emperors of China. The main attractions of the museum are painting and calligraphy, as well as rare books, the number of which in the museum reaches 200 thousand volumes.

National Gallery of Art. Washington DC

This gallery is visited by about 4.2 million people annually. Pictures, drawings, engravings, photographs, sculptures, medals, as well as decorative and applied art tell visitors about the development of Western art from the Middle Ages to the present day. Here you can see the only picture of Leonardo da Vinci in America.

Author’s bio

Barbara Elliott has served in a number of leadership positions throughout his career including College Dean at three Universities and Tenured University Professor. Barbara is a frequent national and international presenter and author. Also she works as a blogger at PhDify.com