Google has added a new extension that helps everyday users appreciate classical art, particularly paintings from renowned artists such as Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh and Edgar Degas.
Google Art Project is Google's new extension for its Chrome browser that brings users a masterpiece in every new tab. Instead of the plain old white tab one would normally find when opening a new tab, Google offers images of paintings from museums and art galleries from all over the world.
Users can adjust the settings so they get a fresh piece of art every day or even every time they open a new tab. The paintings include everything from Monet's Springtime from the J. Paul Getty Museum to Utagawa Kunisada's Passerby Enjoying an Evening Concert.
Although the paintings take up the entire tab, Google adds a small icon on the lower right side of the tab where users can still access their most frequently visited websites. On the other side, the painting's title and the name of the artist name and museum where the work of art is located is listed, and Google links them to other pages where users can get more information about them.
Google Art Project is similar to the DailyArt app for Android and iOS, which brings a new piece of art to mobile users, as well as a bit of information about the work and the artist behind it, on a daily basis.
The latest extension follows in the footsteps of Google's Earth View extension for Chrome, which is similar to Google Art Project. However, instead of seeing pictures of artwork in each new tab, Earth View delivers breathtaking satellite pictures of different parts of the Earth pulled from Google Maps.
Google Art Project is the brainchild of the Google Cultural Institute, which has worked with art institutes and museums to bring physical exhibits online, such as the Cinema Concern Mosfilm's history of the cinema, various exhibits on the wonders of the world and the fall of the Iron Curtain.
Most recently, Google began offering the Google Cultural Institute as an Android-based platform that museums can use to build their own mobile apps by using Google-owned technology such as YouTube and Street View. One of the art museum apps developed based on this platform is the Musée des arts et métiers in Paris, which features the pioneering scientific and technical works of inventors.
