Learning More About Museums and Art
A national museum history museum is basically a national history museum devoted to presenting exhibits and artifacts reflecting the rich history of a specific country, most typically its own country. The exhibits are made by professional curators and illustrators, sometimes supported by a small staff. Curators and illustrators work together to interpret the subject matter as clearly as possible, while working to ensure the museum has a high degree of visitors’ accessibility. The aim of any museum history is to present people with the full sweep of the history and to leave them with a real feeling of the era in which they live. Such a museum also tries to encourage people to participate in the wider society, which often only understands part of the story.
One of the main attractions of these types of museums is the range of subjects covered. Generally, when considering such collections, one tends to think about famous world events, like the First World War. However, there are some very important museums that cover important periods in human history, including ancient Egypt, China, Greece, Rome and beyond. These museums typically exhibit extremely well developed and valuable collections, enabling those coming to the museum to obtain a deeper understanding of their past. It is for this reason that we tend to associate the word’museum’ with those large, ephemeral collections found in shopping malls – these are, unfortunately, quite rare and not well represented in today’s world.
Modern Art and the Visual Imagination Modern art has always been associated with modernism. This movement was brought on by artists throughout the 20th century who sought to make more contemporary works in response to the’modern’ period of mass production and industrialisation. Modern art, however, did not simply impact upon how we see the world – it was also an aesthetic tool with significant social effects. In museum history, modern art is generally considered as the art of particular periods. The periods covered include pre-modern, post-modern, abstract and representational.
Collections and Displays An important element of modern art is its extensive use of color, form and structure in relation to meaningful representation. This represented a major deviation from the simplicity and directness of previous artwork – collections in nature tended towards forms and textures rather than solid images or imagery. Modern art museums therefore often have vast, eclectic collections of all sizes that can be seen in huge galleries or on floors and walls everywhere in the world. There is no single definition of what constitutes a museum display and they can vary significantly between museums and galleries.
Exhibitions Modern art can also be informed by other types of art and they frequently exhibit related art. Exhibitions are one way that a museum demonstrates the history of art. They can also help showcase works that are newly created or recently acquired and help promote the artists whose work is being shown. One can only imagine the scope of such exhibitions if we were able to visit every art museum in the world! The most famous examples of these are the Tate Britain in London and the Saatchi Gallery in London.
Museums and Art museums are places of knowledge and culture so it is no wonder that they continue to attract visitors from all over the world. They offer a unique opportunity to learn about the evolution of art over time and see for yourself some of the masterpieces that have been produced throughout the ages. This can also be an opportunity to buy and own certain pieces of artwork that you would otherwise never have been able to buy. If you are planning a trip to a museum, whether it is just for pleasure or as part of your business travelling, you should definitely consider taking some art history courses beforehand to help you understand the subject more fully.
