Art Shop

Famous art museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art have one of the largest collections of art under one roof. Located in New York City’s Museum Mile area, it has over two million works of art within its permanent collection, which is split into 19 sections of interest.

The Met’s American paintings section also has one of their earliest sculptures from 1870 on display. Hiram Power’s California was one of the first pieces that inspired them to focus building the museum around American art. Over the years, the Met has built its collection of art that covers many areas. Their art section features paintings by Michelangelo, Rembrandt and Van Gogh amongst its 11,000 paintings on hand. They have also built sections featuring Asian Art, American Decorative Art, and Arms and Armory as some of the many sections that they feature.

The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles is a privately-run museum that has a wide collection of European art, Greek and Roman sculptures, and classic drawings. The museum also has an extensive collection of American photography collection, which is one of the only areas within its museum that focuses on American areas of interest. There is also a research center that was opened in 1985, where a staff researches information about the artifacts that exist and makes sure that the information being presented can be used in publications and workshops for presentation purposes.

The Musee du Louvre in France is one of the oldest, famous and most visited museums in the world. Known as a place where artists were allowed to showcase their art since the early days in the 1700s. The museum was formally opened in 1750, and much of France’s much neglected artists were allowed to present their works in this museum. They have owned collections of famous artists like Rembrandt and Da Vinci for years and have them up on display to the public.Visitors can view some of the favorite famous pieces, like the Venus de Milo and the Mona Lisa, which has called the Louvre home for centuries.

The Louvre has over 380,000 pieces of art within its collection. It showcases 35,000 works spanning over eight curatorial departments in its current rotation. One of its highlights is the collection of 11,900 paintings on display. The museum also hosts exhibits on archeology, sculptures and objet d’art. They also have a permanent gallery showing large holdings of furniture, including the Bureau du Roi by Jean Henri Riesener.

By: Mark Traston

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South Africa is blessed with a diverse range of visual arts ranging from ancient rock art to the contemporary.

There is consequently a flotilla of reputable commercial art galleries concentrated largely in the major centres. These galleries not only sell original art works, at competitive prices, but they also host regular solo or group exhibitions with emphasis on home grown talent.

As one of the undisputed highlights of any trip to South Africa, the city of Cape Town has more than its fair share of recommended art galleries:

Cape Town

The Table Bay Gallery is situated in one of the iconic landmarks of Cape Town, the V&A Waterfront. The custom-designed interior affords space to a number of genres including bronze sculptures, ceramics, authentic SA oils, water colours and mixed media representations.

The Kalk Bay Gallery can be found in the quaint fishing village of Kalk Bay, about 15 minutes from the centre of Cape Town. It has an enduring reputation of carrying the most comprehensive collection of SA originals in the nation. An added incentive is its location where restaurants, pubs and delis rub shoulders with second hand book stores, antique outlets and bric-a-brac shops.

The Alfred Mall Gallery is set in the heart of Cape Town’s most popular attraction, the V&A Waterfront, known for its premier shopping experience. Apart from the extensive collection of South African prints, the gallery houses a number of mixed media paintings, ceramics and bronzes.

The South Africa Art Collection is located in the visitor’s hub of the V&A Waterfront, close to both the Nelson Mandela Museum and the departure point to the notorious Robben Island. The bright interior showcases a number of local genres including Township Art, Abstract Art and Wildlife Art.

Johannesburg

Johannesburg, the commercial centre of South Africa, has a vast number of galleries including:

The Hyde Park Art Gallery, located in the luxurious heart of Sandton, is a regular host of exhibitions dedicated to the extraordinary talent of local practitioners. Pieces vary from the contemporary to antique African artefacts.

Gallery on the Side has one of the largest collections of fine art in the country, boasting over 2000 pieces housed in the typical ‘boma’ style. It too is situated in the core of the city’s business and residential centre, Fourways in Sandton.

Other Galleries



A number of ‘rural’ galleries are located away from the bustle of the cities in areas associated with high volumes of visitors:

The Vineyard Gallery is set in the gastronomic capital of the Cape, Franschhoek, renowned for its splendid wines, award-winning cuisine and outstanding views of the surrounding mountains. The light and bright interior showcases local land and seascapes, African wildlife, vibrant Township Art and more.

Gallery Hermanus can be found in the sea-side village of Hermanus, an hour and half’s drive from Cape Town. Primarily known for its premier whale watching, the region is a popular holiday hideaway for locals. It has an interesting collection of South African originals and prints as well as authentic African artefacts.

By: Lavana James

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