By Chelle Honiker
One of the most amazing parts of flying non-rev is the ability to jump on a plane in the morning, and be able to absorb the culture of a city after just a quick trip.
Given the sheer number of choices for art galleries around the globe, we have curated a list of galleries that merit burning a pass or two.
National Gallery of Art – Washington, DC
One of the most outstanding art museums in the world, the National Gallery of Art boasts one of the largest collections of masterwork in the world, including paintings, drawings, photographs, prints, decorative art, and sculptures beginning in the 13th Century. Containing an extensive review of the works of artists from around the globe, it also offers a wide range of concerts, lectures, educational programs, guided tours and films.
Web: http://nga.gov
National Museum of Korea – Seoul
Situated in the Yongsan Family Park, the flagship museum of more than 220,000 masterpieces of relics and art is comprised of archeological and historical art galleries dating back to 1392, and hosts an impressive collection of Buddhist sculptures along with arts and ceramics illustrating the rich Asian Culture
Web: http://english.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/ATR/SI_EN_3_1_1_1.jsp?cid=268137
Metropolitan Museum of Art – New York
Founded in 1870 by a group of American nationals, this museum is home to works of art from ancient Egypt and classical antiquity. It’s impressive collection also includes an extensive collection of weapons, armor, and musical instruments. Numerous interiors from the 1st Century Rome through contemporary design are also represented
Web: http://www.metmuseum.org/
Getty Museum – Los Angeles
Part of the Getty Center in Brentwood, the J Paul Getty Museum tells the story of pre-20th-century Western art, from illuminated medieval manuscripts to Van Gogh’s Irises. You can also browse antiquities at the Roman-style Villa Getty in Malibu, about an hour from Los Angeles’ hotels by public transport.
Musee d’Orsay – Paris
Even more popular with some travelers than the Louvre, the Musee d’Orsay is home to one of the more spectacular collections in the world, and is well worth a trip.
Housed in a train station, with a massive arched ceiling, the museum has distinct sections all revolving around a central theme. In the Impressionist Wing, for example, you’ll find the innumerable works of Monet, Cezzane, Matisse, Degas, Renior and Van Gogh. The sheer size of the paintings is breathtaking, stretching from floor to ceiling.
The Old Masters collection is home to works with detail so fine that the paintings often look like a photograph.
Not to be outdone, the sculpture wing greets visitors with marble and stone likenesses with incomparable attention to the smallest detail such as bone and muscle.
Plan to spend at least two days to see the fullest amount of works.
Web: http://www.musee-orsay.fr/en/home.html
National Gallery – London
No trip to London would be complete without a day at the National Gallery, one of the oldest art museums in the world. The gallery is home to an antique collection of 2300 paintings from the mid 13th Century and include works from Botticelli, Michelangelo, Raphael, Cezanne and Rembrandt to name a few. Of particular note: The recently acquired Australian Impressionist collection.
Web: https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/