Art lovers relish browsing works ‘virtually’

While nothing really will beat viewing a work of art in real life and real time, the ability of examining it virtually to a finer level of detail apparently seems to be prompting visitors to linger around, as the Google Art Project indicates. Roughly one minute is the time spent on an average looking at a painting hosted on the Art Project site in comparison to just under 20 seconds in a museum (according to studies). A blog post by Amit Sood of Google Cultural Institute makes the following points:

• Viewings of user galleries were in fact higher than any individual artist or painting. To date, 360,000 galleries have been created, 14,000 of which are public on the web. To mark World Art Day, we asked some of our partners to curate user galleries of their own. Take a look through the selections of eight museum directors here.
• Given the list above, it’s clear the classics remain popular with viewers, but there is increasing interest in modern art as well, with Dali and Klimt featuring among the most searched for artists. The Internet has also allowed users to explore multiple genres in a single destination. More than 30 different mediums co-exist on Art Project with oil on canvas next to over 5,000 objects including silk textiles, sculptures and furniture. There can't be many places where you can find Brazilian street art alongside Botticelli.
• Many partners who have contributed an art collection have also opted to put their museums on Street View. On average, visitors spend around two minutes exploring the interior of the buildings and viewing the paintings on display. The most-visited Street View destination on Art Project is The White House. As the majority of us will never get the opportunity to go inside, the Internet allows a rare glimpse into a global institution that also houses an extensive art collection.

With over 200 partners from more than 40.countries, Google continues its quest to make art accessible to professionals, students, amateur enthusiasts, and beginners. It also holds Art Talks series on its G+ page that looks to put people in touch with experts online.