Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji: The Great Wave Off the Coast of Kanagawa (Edo period, 19th century) by Katsushika HokusaiTokyo National Museum
In 2011, Google Arts & Culture launched with 17 of the world’s most acclaimed museums to help make art more accessible. Although there are now over 100,000 artworks for you to explore, let's take a closer look at some of the first works to be brought online.
The birth of Venus (1483 - 1485) by Sandro BotticelliUffizi Gallery
'The Birth of Venus' by Sandro Botticelli
This iconic work from the Uffizi Gallery collection depicts the goddess Venus standing in a shell and surrounded by figures draped in cloth.
It has been thought that instead of this artwork showing the "birth of Venus", what we actually see is the goddess landing on the shore of her homeland, the island of Cyprus.
No Woman, No Cry No Woman, No Cry (1998) by Chris OfiliTate Britain
'No Woman, No Cry' by Chris Ofili
This work from the Tate Britain collection was created as a universal portrayal of melancholy and grief. Zoom in to see if you can spot the collaged pictures within the teardrops.
These are images of Stephen Lawrence, a victim of a racist murder in 1993.
The words ‘R.I.P. Stephen Lawrence’ are also just visible beneath the layers of paint behind the figure.
Marie-Antoinette de Lorraine-Habsbourg, queen of France, and her children (1787) by Elisabeth Louise Vigée-LebrunPalace of Versailles
'Marie-Antoinette' by Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun
Did you know that when this painting was meant to be exhibited publicly for the first time, Le Brun tried to pull the artwork out of the show because she feared the public would attack the Queen's image?
In the end, the critics were divided, with some praising the quality of the draperies and others criticizing the composition of the artwork. What do you think of the work?
In the Conservatory (1878/1879) by Edouard ManetAlte Nationalgalerie, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
'In the Conservatory' by Édouard Manet
This artwork from the Alte Nationalgalerie collection is an example of Manet's preference for compositions with two figures. He believed this opened up the possibility of interesting dialogue.
What type of conversation do you think would be going on between these two?
The Night Watch (1642) by Rijn, Rembrandt vanRijksmuseum
'The Night Watch' by Rembrandt
This painting is one of the most famous in the Rijksmuseum collection. If you look closely, you'll spot a hidden figure in the background...
...it's Rembrandt himself! Did you spot the artist's cameo in the work?
Tropical Heat by Rudi PattersonBlack Cultural Archives
Want more to explore? Why not sit back and enjoy these 5 landscapes you'll love to zoom into.
You are all set!
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