Museum Field Trip
Last night, I had an amazing experience exploring museums in different locations and continents. The best part was that it didn’t cost me anything as I enjoyed the tour from the comfort of my own home. You might be wondering how this was made possible. Well, I visited each museum virtually through my computer. Each museum provided a unique experience, showcasing various forms and periods of art. Every artwork had its own exceptional beauty. However, what truly astonished me was not just the art itself but also its presentation on the websites. If you want to appreciate the art, you have to see it for yourself.
Both The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The National Gallery of Art have user-friendly websites that feature easy-to-navigate pull-down menus. These menus contain options such as “Exhibitions” and “Research”. Under the Exhibitions menu, visitors can find current, upcoming, and past exhibitions. Both museums also have a Collections menu where highlighted works are showcased. There is also a Shop menu available on both websites for purchasing souvenirs online.
However, there is a difference in homepage design between the two museums. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has a traditional layout with a horizontal menu at the top and vertical links on the left side accompanied by pictures. On the other hand, The National Gallery of Art has a top-horizontal pull-down menu with a background image that includes a scrollable bar of small pictures in the center – resembling the descriptions found in their pull-down menus.
I am particularly frustrated with certain pull down menus where I click on what appears to be self-explanatory, like “archive photos,” and instead get redirected to other pages or receive messages such as “this page is no longer available” or “this page is currently under construction.” However, as I mentioned before, both websites had compact and up-to-date pull-down menus. Nevertheless, the Metropolitan Museum of Art had a greater abundance of information and links to choose from.
When people visit museums and art galleries, their main intention is not to discuss web features but rather to admire pictures and artworks. This discussion will focus on the presentation of pictures on both museum websites. Both museums offer a Collections pull-down menu where visitors can find their most prized works of art in the Highlights section. Each assortment of pictures is unique and splendid in its own way, providing a visual gateway to past cultures and civilizations through sculptures, artifacts, pictures, and paintings. The written descriptions offered also provide insight into lives much different from our own.
Moving on to the distinction in picture presentation between the two sites: The Metropolitan Museum of Art takes a more seamless approach compared to the National Gallery of Art. On The National Gallery of Art website, when I clicked on the pictures, they appeared digitally block by block with a noticeable delay in their full appearance when zoomed in for a closer look.In addition to the absence of any annoying thumbnails or stuttering issues, I was generally pleased with the way the pictures from the Metropolitan Museum of Art were displayed. The photos quickly and seamlessly appeared, while also providing a smooth zoom-in and zoom-out feature that enhanced my overall viewing experience.
In my earlier introduction, I mentioned that I visited several museums across different states and continents. However, for the purpose of this comparison, I am specifically focusing on two museums that caught my attention while browsing their websites. But, ultimately, you can decide for yourself. The websites I explored are:
– Frist Center for the Visual Arts: http://www.fristcenter.com,
– The Frick Collection: http://www.frick.org,
– The Smithsonian: http://www.si.edu/,
– American Museum of Natural History: http://www.amnh.org,
– Metropolitan Museum of Art: http://www.metmuseum.org/,
– The National Gallery of Art: http://www.nga.gov,
– In Europe, The Tate Gallery:
– And The Louvre:
I highly recommend visiting all the mentioned museums to truly immerse yourself in a world of art and culture.
Instead of spending the evening with my husband and daughter, watching television, I made the choice to delve into a world of culture within the confines of my office. This decision has proven to be a worthwhile utilization of my time, for which I am grateful.
