The 10 Best Art Museums in the World
Art is one of the most effective ways to express who we are, and art galleries/museums are a means of bringing it forward. Art galleries have been instrumental in promoting and inspiring the hidden and enigmatic aspect of all time, by recognizing and preserving its value. Of course, without art galleries, we would not be able to realize the depth of cultural richness and vitality.
Art museums not only nurtured the creative spirits visited but also served as a gateway to art education.
Now, let’s take a look at “The 10 Best Art Museums in the World” together.
Keep In Mind: Recent research shows that visiting art galleries and museums improves memory.
10 Best Art Museums in the World
1- Louvre Museum
Location: Paris, France
Established: 1973
Architect: Pierre Lescot, Louis Le Vau, Claude Perrault
Ticket Price: € 0–17
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Originally built as a castle and the residence of the French kings for two centuries, the Louvre Castle was later turned into a museum.
The Louvre Museum is the world’s largest art museum.
It gained its present appearance with the glass and metal pyramid (Louvre Pyramid) added by architect Ieoh Ming Pei in 1989.
Louvre Museum, Paris-France | Best Art Museums in the World.
Louvre Pyramid added by architect Ieoh Ming Pei in 1989. | Best Art Galleries in the World.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- Leonardo da Vinci – Mona Lisa
Recommended For You- 15 Facts You Might Not Know About The Mona Lisa
Keep in Mind: Try to imagine how many works of art in the museum are with the following mathematical calculation: Even if you spend 30 seconds on each work of art in the museum, you will need 100 days without sleep to see all the artworks.
2- National Gallery
Location: London, UK
Established: 1824
Architect: Denise Scott Brown, William Wilkins
Ticket Price: Free
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The National Gallery houses more than 2,300 works dating from the mid-13th century to 1900.
In 2019, it became the most visited museum in the world.
Adding value to the architectural structure of the city of London with its lion sculptures and ornamental pools, it also houses the works of important artists such as Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Van Gogh.
National Gallery, London-UK | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World
National Gallery, London-UK | Top Art Galleries in the World
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- The Arnolfini Portrait (The Arnolfini Marriage), 1434 by Jan van Eyck
- The Large Bathers, 1906 by Paul Cézanne
- Virgin of the Rocks by Leonardo Da Vinci
- Self-Portrait by Rembrandt van Rijn
- Sunflowers by Vincent Van Gogh.
Keep in Mind: It is a great pleasure to be able to visit such a great art museum for free!
3- Tate Modern Art Gallery
Location: London, UK
Established: 1879
Architect: Herzog and De Meuron
Ticket Price: Free
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The Tate Modern is the UK’s national museum of modern and contemporary art.
It was originally established as the National Gallery of British art and was later renamed the Tate Gallery as it also included modern art.
Tate Modern, London-UK | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World
Tate Gallery, London-UK | Top Art Galleries in the World
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- Nude Woman with Necklace by Pablo Picasso
Keep in Mind: Unlike other museums, the Tate Modern Art Gallery artworks are arranged according to themes, not chronology. In addition, the themes are changed from time to time!
4- MoMA (Museum of Modern Art)
Location: New York, USA
Established: 7 November 1929
Architect: Yoshio Taniguchi, Edward Durell Stone, Philip Goodwin
Ticket Price: $0-25 (for adults and free for children under 18.)
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MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, houses some of the most valuable collections in the art world.
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art), New York-USA | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World.
MoMA (Museum of Modern Art) | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
You can find many works of art by Vincent Van Gogh, Paul Cézanne, Henri Matisse, Magritte, Pablo Picasso, Pollock, and Warhol.
You can also find works by Botticelli, Degas, Rembrandt, Jan Vermeer, and Rodin at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- Adam and Eve Engraving by Albrecht Durer
- The Persistence of Memory, 1931 by Salvador Dali
- The Starry Night, 1889 by Vincent Van Gogh
- Le Bateau, 1953 by Henri Matisse
Keep in Mind: Henri Matisse‘s work Le Bateau was exhibited at the New York Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), but nobody noticed that this work was exhibited upside down for 47 days. It is thought that approximately 116,000 visitors passed by or viewed this artifact without realizing it was upside down.
5- Art Institute of Chicago
Location: Chicago, USA
Established: 1879
Architect: Renzo Piano
Ticket Price: $19-25
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It is located inside Grant Park in Chicago.
It hosts more than 30 special exhibitions per year. It also has a conservation science department, five conservation laboratories, and one of the largest libraries for art history and architecture.
Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, USA | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World.
Art Institute of Chicago – Chicago, USA | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
It is the second-largest museum in the USA after the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- ‘American Gothic’ by Grant Wood
- ‘Paris Street; Rainy Day’ by Gustave Caillebotte
Keep In Mind: It was founded by a group of 35 artists with the motive of running a free school with its own art gallery.
6- Musée d’Orsay
Location: Paris, France
Established: 1986
Architect: Gae Aulenti, Victor Laloux, Emile Bernard
Ticket Price: € 14
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It is located on the coast of the Seine River.
The Musée d’Orsay was created by reusing the old train station land with an interesting idea put forward by the French Museum Directorate.
Musée d’Orsay – Paris, France | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World.
Musée d’Orsay – Paris, France | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
Sculptures of Auguste Rodin and important works of art by artists such as Paul Gauguin, Claude Monet, and Renoir can be found in the Musée d’Orsay.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- ‘Women in the Garden’ by Claude Monet
- ‘Tahitian Women on the Beach’ by Paul Gauguin
Keep In Mind: It has 35,000sq m of glass (which is equivalent to five football fields) so as to brighten up the interior.
7- Rijksmuseum
Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Established: 1800
Architect: Pierre Cuypers
Ticket Price: € 17,5 (for adults and free for children under 18.)
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The Rijksmuseum is a Dutch national museum dedicated to art and history located in Amsterdam.
Founded in The Hague in 1800, The Rijksmuseum moved to Amsterdam in 1808.
The rarest examples of 17th century Dutch and European art can be found in the Rijksmuseum.
Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam, Netherlands | The 10 Best Art Museums in the World.
Rijksmuseum – Amsterdam, Netherlands | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
The museum houses nearly one million works devoted to art and history, including famous artists such as Rembrandt, Frans Hals, and Johannes Vermeer.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- Night Watch by Rembrandt van Rijn
Keep In Mind: It is the only museum in the world with a road in it!
8- Moderna Museet
Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Established: 1958
Architect: Rafael Moneo
Ticket Price: Free
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The Moderna Museet Stockholm (Stockholm Museum of Modern Art) is a state-funded contemporary art museum located on the island of Skeppsholmen. There is also the Stockholm Toy Museum on the same island.
Moderna Museet – Stockholm, Sweden | The Best Art Museums in the World.
A contemporary piece of art in the Moderna Museet (Museum of Modern Art) | World’s Best Art Museums
It has collections of modern and contemporary artworks by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, Robert Rauschenberg, Marcel Duchamp and Henri Matisse, as well as internationally.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- ‘Baigneuses au ballon’ by Pablo Picasso
- The Enigma of Wilhelm Tell by Salvador Dali
Keep In Mind: On November 8, 1993, six works by Picasso and two by George Baque were stolen from the museum. The robbers carried out this robbery by imitating the technique in the movie Rififi (Du Rififi Chez Les Hommes).
9- Shanghai Museum
Location: Huangpu, China
Established: 1952
Architect: Xing Tonghe
Ticket Price: Free
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Shanghai Museum is an ancient art museum located in People’s Square in Huangpu District in Shanghai, China.
Shanghai Museum is China’s first world-class modern museum.
The structure was designed by Architect Xing Tonghe. The round top of the building symbolizes the sky and the square base symbolizes the earth.
Shanghai Museum – Huangpu, China | The Best Art Museums in the World.
Shanghai Museum – Huangpu, China | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
It is known to have a collection of more than 120,000 pieces, including bronze, ceramics, calligraphy, furniture, jades, ancient coins, paintings, seals, sculptures, minority art, and foreign art.
Keep In Mind: There is a huge 12.000 m² exhibition room where more than 400 bronze works of art are displayed.
10- Vatican Museums
Location: Vatican City
Established: 1506
Architect: Luca Beltrami
Ticket Price: € 4-17
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Vatican Museums are public art and sculpture museums in Vatican City. It was founded by Pope Paul II in 1506.
The Vatican Museum has the world’s largest and most striking collections, which include Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, and of course Michelangelo‘s work in the Sistine Chapel.
Vatican Museums – Vatican City | The Best Art Museums in the World.
The Sistine Chapel ceiling (Italian: Volta Della Cappella Sistina), painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art.
The four Raphael Rooms (Italian: Stanze di Raffaello) form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, now part of the Vatican Museums, in Vatican City | The Best Art Galleries in the World.
It hosts 70,000 works of art in total, of which 20,000 works are exhibited. This museum has been the third most visited museum in the world.
Which artwork should you see in this museum?
- The Sistine Chapel ceiling (Italian: Volta Della Cappella Sistina), painted by Michelangelo
- The four Raphael Rooms (Italian: Stanze di Raffaello) form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace painted by Raffaello
Keep In Mind: The museums, which are located in the smallest country in the world, Vatican City, and carry the important traces of Western civilization, are located on an area of 7 kilometers in total.
***If you had the chance to visit any of these art galleries; You can contribute to our content by writing your comments in the comment section. Thank you.
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