Art enthusiasts are spoiled for choice when it comes to visiting foreign cities. It seems that every major settlement has a museum with a selection of spectacular works, and sometimes it can be hard to choose where to go. Here are four of the best.
Paris
It is perhaps no surprise that Paris is on this list. The Louvre alone could occupy the most serious art lovers for weeks, but it is far from the city’s only offering. The Musée d’Orsay hosts some of the best works from the impressionists and post-impressionists, and fans of this style need to visit the Musée de l’Orangerie to see Monet’s Waterlilies.
For more modern art, the Centre Pompidou holds over 100,000 works dating from 1905 to the present day. There are thousands of smaller galleries all over the city, so make sure you scour the metropolis for hidden gems while you’re there.
Kyoto
It might not be the most obvious place on your radar for art, but Kyoto is home to some of Japan’s best museums and galleries. For traditional Japanese art, you can visit the Kyoto National Museum, or if you would rather see more contemporary work then the National Museum of Modern Art is the place to go.
Of course, it is not just the major galleries that are hubs for artists. Kyoto is a great place to have a drink in a trendy cafe or bar and admire some local artworks. Two places near the National Museum of Modern Art – Tranq Room and A Womb – are known for being amazing places to relax among the local artists’ works.
New York
The various galleries in New York have made a point of acquiring some of the most fantastic artworks from around the world, making the city a must-visit for lovers of paintings. The famous Guggenheim, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) all host some of the most famous works in history.
From Vermeer’s ‘Portrait of a Young Woman’ at the Met to Picasso’s ‘Les Demoiselles d’Avignon’ in MoMa to the Guggenheim’s collection of Kandinskys, you can barely turn a corner in a New York gallery without running into a famous masterpiece.
Vienna
The historic city of Vienna hosts some of the world’s most amazing art in some incredible buildings. The Belvedere Palace, for example, is not only an architectural masterpiece but is also home to one of the finest collections of art in the world, including David’s ‘Napoleon at the Great St. Bernhard Pass’ and Klimt’s ‘Kiss’.
Elsewhere in the city, the Museum of Fine Arts houses paintings by artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, Vermeer, and Titian. The Albertina Graphic Arts museum is also worth a look, containing works from Delacroix, Cezanne, Manet and even Leonardo da Vinci.