Go on a cruise or hop on a train or board a flight and travel to various destinations like London or Singapore to indulge in art, and merge with the picturesque places that host museums and galleries, say experts.
Ratna Chadha, Chief Executive, TIRUN, India representative for Celebrity Cruises, and Gursahib Singh Sethi, Co-Founder, travel app Travkart.com, suggest a few places:
* London, England: The Victoria and Albert Museum in London showcases applied arts from around the world, including furniture, jewellery, fashion, glasswork, ceramics and sculpture. The Tate Britain is another art museum you must visit when you make a trip to London. The building contains the largest collection of British art in the world, with pieces dating from the 1500s to modern times. The National Gallery, located in Trafalgar square, is also a delight to visit as it hosts over 2,300 works of art. Cruise enthusiasts can visit the National Maritime Museum in Greater London to browse through paintings that focus on the many moods of the sea and the travails of navigation.
* Florence, Italy: The Galleria dell’Accademia houses the renowned ‘David’ by Michelangelo, besides other sculptures by the artist and a collection of breath-taking Renaissance paintings. The Uffizi, on the other hand, is located near the sparkling Arno River and must be visited if you wish to behold the world’s most fascinating collection of Italian Renaissance art. Very close to the Uffizi gallery is the Loggia dei Lanzi, an open-air museum that showcases antique sculptures. Built in the 14th century, this museum is very easily accessible as it requires no entry fee.
* Singapore: The best Asian contemporary art can be enjoyed at the Singapore Art Museum, which was inaugurated in 1996. Pay a visit to the National Gallery to indulge in an extensive collection of Singaporean and Southeast Asian art that dates from the 19th century, all the way down to modern times. Another building that houses priceless pieces of art is the Peranakan Museum, dedicated to the culture of Peranakans – descendants of Straits Born Chinese. The items displayed at the museum include carved wedding bands and stunning ceremonial costumes.
* Aarhus, Denmark: Aarhus is Denmark’s second-largest city and a buzzing cultural hub. A walk down the city’s streets will lead you to discover a seemingly endless number of galleries where you can spend hours browsing through art. The ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, established in 1859, is one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe. You can visit the ten-storey building to observe the museum’s large art collection as well as special exhibitions of Danish artists. The roof of the museum features an iconic rainbow panorama basement, while the gallery in the basement is influenced by Dante’s The Divine Comedy.
* Paris, France: History and art are present at every corner of the city, and vacationers can begin with a visit to the Musée Carnavalet, which is a tribute to the history of Paris. The Musée Picasso, as the name suggests, allows one to browse through the works of Pablo Picasso and the Maison Européenne de la Photographie is dedicated to modern photographic art. Visitors also throng the famous Louvre museum, which has become a central landmark of the city. Another art museum, the Musée d’Orsay, showcases works by remarkable artists including Van Gogh, Manet, Cezanne and Renoir.
* The block printing art and fresco paintings on Havelis of Mandawa, Fatehpur, and Nawal garh are sure to mesmerize those exploring Rajasthan.
* Those travelling to south, will get a chance to experience the awe inspiring paintings with subtle colours, detailed refinement and gesso work depicting the scenes from Hindu mythology. The brilliant art skills carried out on clothes in Mysore will surely mesmerize the art enthusiast.
