Used to be, if you wanted to see Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers” up close, you had two options: fly to Amsterdam and visit the Van Gogh museum or buy a $50 coffee table book with a great printing.
Oh how times have changed. Thanks to a group of brilliant new apps, you can view thousands of major works of art, in exquisite detail, right on your ipad or computer.
We recently discovered
Art Authority, a new app from Open Door Networks that lets you browse through a virtual museum with 55,000 works by over 1,000 of the western world’s greatest artists. Browse by category (Romanticism, Impressionism, Modern) or by artist and tap a painting twice to see it super close up.
Once you start, it’s completely addictive--you can easily get lost (in a good way) as you search through Seurat’s body of work or discover some of the lesser known Romantics. Each work is linked to an authoritative description or Wikipedia entry. The picture quality is stunning--every brush stroke is visible when viewed on an iPad.
Other art apps we love:
The Explorer App for The Museum of Natural History,
The MOMA Books iPad app (Read all of MOMA’s beautifully curated art books on your iPad--even the out-of-print ones.)
The Musee de Louvre app (The next best thing to a trip to the famous Paris museum.)
The American Museum of Natural History app (Ok, it’s not quite “art”, but this brilliant museum app let’s you chart your own course through one of America’s great institutions.)
5 lucky FOFs will win the Art Authority app (value $9.99) for their iphones, ipads or Mac computers. To enter, tell us in the comments below: Who is you favorite fine artist?
Thank you for entering. This contest is now closed.
(See all our past winners, here.) (See official rules, here.) Contest closes October 13, 2011.
{FOF Homework} Then & Now 
{Giveaway} Another shot at intimacy! 
{Fashion Flash}
I’m drawn to different artists at different times. Right now I’m enjoying Georgia O’Keefe.
I would have to say Eugene Delacroix. I especially loved his paintings reflecting his time spent in North Africa.
Claude…nobody does it better!
Leonardo DaVinici
Next to my son who is a gifted artist, I really admire Michaelangelo’s work.
Davinci!!!
I do not have just one and the list is so long. I like styles
My favorite is Michealangelo.
My favorite artist is Matisse.
Vincent Van Gogh of course!
My favorite artists were my children when they were little. I still display their artwork.
My favorite is a Charleston artist, Betty Anglin Smith. Her color selections are incredible and evoke the wild beauty of the Lowcountry.
Amazing apps! I can really hardly name just one, I have so many favorites. I will say Picasso though!
Karena
Art by Karena
My favorite artist is Camille Passarro. He is known to many as the father of Impressionism. Not only do I admire Passaro for his impressionist landscapes and rendering of common people just doing what they do (in the fields, at the market, on the farm), but also for being so dedicated to his political views. Passarro believed that food should go from farmer to the people without government intervention. I also am grateful to this artist for he trained other great impressionists including van Gough. Pissarro’s significant impact on art at the turn of the century makes him a rockstar in my book.
My favorite artist is Camille Passarro. He is known to many as the father of Impressionism. Not only do I admire Passaro for his impressionist landscapes and rendering of common people just doing what they do (in the fields, at the market, on the farm), but also for being so dedicated to his political views. Passarro believed that food should go from farmer to the people without government intervention. I also am grateful to this artist for he trained other great impressionists including Picasso and Monet. Pissarro’s significant impact on art at the turn of the century makes him a rockstar in my book.
Monet! Gotta love his colors and textures.
having the privilege to walk through Monets garden and home in Givenchy, I have to admire this impressionists work the most…
my favorite is Vincent van Gogh
My favourite artist is Monet!
I have to go with Monet also!
James McNeil Whistler — his later work
That’s easy! My husband: http://bobburdetteart.com
do you have any art app suggestions for android phones? love my evo!!
I love Monet’s paintings, and I love Mary Seurrat, and I love Edward Hopper, completely different look.
I am so enthralled with Monet; for my entire life I have been drawn to the phases of his life by his depiction of finer images. The colors, the change in sharpness with the onset of his blindness illustrates to me the softening of life as you age gracefully.
Andrew Wyeth for his simplicity of complicated lives. Claude Monet is my second favorite for sheer beauty through his eyes.
I have to say van Gogh because of the pain he suffered and still brought so much beauty to our lives. I was brought to tears when I saw his retrospective show at the National Gallery years ago.
17/06/2009 3:28 pm Your blog is amazing, i first ladend to another post but then get interested and thought, i will just look a little more arround to see what else i can find out about such stuff
So hard to choose but I’ll go with Monet.
My absolute favorite is Gustav Klimt!!
My favorite fine artist is Jackson Pollack.