Oh Google...you sexy, sexy beast

Remember how pissed off I was after Google Images went all suicidal and claustrophobic? It felt like being betrayed by a lover. But now, all that disappointment has disappeared thanks to the Google Art Project (or rather Art Project, powered by Google)

LINK: http://www.googleartproject.com/

Because I am too incredibly lazy to write things down right now, here is the description of it from the article in The Guardian:

allows the user to navigate around 17 of the world's most prestigious art galleries in a manner similar to Street View, and look at images of many of the artworks on display in very high resolution. You can zoom in to beyond the craquelure and see whether the cleaner has been dusting properly; the image definition is just astonishing.

Tim Williams, The glory is in the detail of the Google Art Project, 4 February 2011, The Guardian, retrieved via link

The detail is absolutely stunning. With only about 25 percent zoom, you can see the cracks in the paint. I don't even want to know what will happen if I do a 100 percent zoom...probably an orGoghasm (ha ha, I'm so funny =__=).

I think art junkies everywhere should rejoice, because now you can study paintings in incredible detail from the comfort of your home, rather than pissing away money on a trip to Europe.

Albeit, looking at a painting in real life is a completely different experience, which even Google's love cannot replace. So art galleries should stop flipping around, worrying that this will reduce visits to art galleries. In fact, it will only make people more curious to visit art galleries, and see the paintings in real life.

Again, like I said, looking at paintings in real life is a completely different experience. Nothing can replace that smell of paint, mixed with the fresh scent of varnish from the floor; and the paintings just towering above you, seducing you to just stand there and stare at them.