Top 7 Art Galleries in 3 Cities you MUST Visit in Europe. Inspiration!

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COMMENT, Sydney, Australia — There are many, many grand inspiring art galleries around the world.

But if you want to be inspired, these are the top 7 art galleries for inspiring new & great ideas, from 3 easily connected European Cities.

I would say you must visit these art galleries at a minimum to have a well-connected perspective on European art.

These art galleries are also the places I head for in Europe to lighten my soul and inspire my mind.

If you are booking a European tour, or live in Europe, these have the advantage of not being that far apart in terms of a land or rail journey.

1. Rome: The Vatican

Allow at least a day, and prepare to queue. But, go through at your own pace not a tour. Not just Michelangelo & the Sistine Chapel. Raphael, Rubens and priceless art, often displayed directly on the walls.

Look out for the tapestries even if textiles are not your area.

If you have time also visit St Peters. Allow perhaps another half day depending on season.

Website: Vatican Art Museums

If you can also visit St Cosmo & Damian’s church, this is a unique church for the religiously minded Christian and one of the oldest in Rome.

2. Paris: Musée du Louvre

Allow a few days. The most important art collection in the world. Be aware that different sections are closed on each day. Huge, so plan more than one visit.

Among my favourite inspiration sections is the religious art section.

But truth be told, I always make a straight bee-line for the Large Format paintings from the 19th Century — David, Delacroix, Géricault and others. Delacroix Liberty Leading the People is a must. Every time I am in Paris I visit this room.

The Delacroix exhibits here are astronomically better than the small Delacroix museum.

Try also to see the related museums of Publicity and Tuileries garden sculptures nearby. The Musée de l’Armée across the bridge also has a great Ingres Napoleon tucked away, which is useful for the comparison with the David Napoleon in the Vienna Belvedere or the Delaroche, and others in the Louvre.

Website: Louvre

3. Paris: Musée d’Orsay

Allow up to 1 day. Make sure you see the sculptures, and don’t just see the Impressionists (Monet, Manet, Van Gogh, etc.)

Courbet is my favourite here along with numerous sculptures.

Website: Orsay Paris

4. Paris: George Pompidou Center

Allow half to one day depending on taste. More modern art, but I believe my favourite modern & post-modern 20th century collection in Europe. The building alone is spectacularly interesting. Great for designers also.

Website: Pompidou Centre Art

5. Vienna: Kunst Historiches Museum (KHM)

Allow a day. The best art museum in Vienna, with magnificent Dutch collections along with great Italian Old Masters. My personal favourite after the Louvre.

Website: KHM Vienna

6. Vienna: MAK (Museum of Applied and Contemporary Arts)

Allow up to a day. The museum of applied design, including some neat furniture. Worth a visit at any time of the year. Full of inspiration. My favourite is the poster gallery, and related lithographic print design.

Website: MAK Vienna

7. Vienna: Lower & upper Belvedere

Allow up to a day. If you visit the Belvedere, the upper Belvedere has some magnificent Gustav Klimt works including the famous The Kiss.

However the Lower Belvedere contains numerous less familiar, but exceedingly interesting images. My must-see is Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon on horseback. Contrast this with the Parisian Napoleonic portraits.

Also some of the more famous comedic sculpture busts are stored here.

Website: Vienna Belvedere

Other galleries

Of course there are many other galleries worldwide.

2thinknow^TM included a list and ranking of the world’s most inspiring art institutions in our Global Innovation Review 2007 of world innovative cities.

In terms of world-class these 7 art galleries are among the best in terms of having great collections, quite a few surprises, and in themselves providing a broad-based education into fine arts that few books could match.

Whenever I walk away from these art galleries I find my head flooded with inspired ideas.

Remember before you can implement innovation, that innovation has to be inspired.

These art galleries are a salve for the soul, stimulus for the brain and a feast for the eyes.

Be inspired.

 

Christopher

Connect to Christopher Hire.

Speaker. Author. Editor-In-Chief. Executive Director of Innovation, 2thinknow.

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