Ah, Paris! It’s home to so many artistic triumphs, like Le Tour Eiffel, the Louvre, the Mona Lisa countless classic works by the likes of Michelangelo and Caravaggio, L'Arc de Triomphe, and the catacombs beneath the city containing the bones of six million people. Paris truly is a crown jewel of Western culture, and art is everywhere you turn!
From the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Museum of Modern Art, New York City has some of the largest and most renowned collections in the world! There are entire guides about where to find the best Picassos and Dalis and guides that break down the bountiful art that fills the public spaces. This city also turns common places into projects like The High Line, and the graffiti is top-notch!
Mexico City is where Frida Khalo chose to settle down. The city also gave us noted muralists like Diego Rivera and Rufino Tamayo. Plus, it seems like each neighborhood has an artistic identity all its own. Roma Norte has folk art centers like the Art Market at Mercado Alvaro Obregon, Centro Historico has galleries of traditional Mayan work, and Polanco has Carlos Slim's Soumaya Museum, just to mention a few.
Thanks to the Habsburgs’ land-grabby, art-snatchy ways, Vienna is a prime location for art in Europe and the world. Works from ancient Greece and Rome sit alongside Rembrandt and Michelangelo at the Kunsthistorisches Museum. The Albertina holds pieces from every major European school of art. The Vienna Museum and the Austrian National Library hold works from around the continent, as well as homegrown talent like Schiele and Klimt.
Kyoto is alive with contemporary work from rising stars. The National Museum of Modern Art is here. There’s also the Imura Art Gallery (which focuses on artists based in Kyoto) and Kaho (a gallery based on a philosophy of total freedom of expression). From Kyoto Art Center to Kodama Gallery, there's a real sense of vitality and a great fostering of local talent!
St. Petersburg's architecture is nothing short of grand! Its spires are instantly recognizable, and its Historic Center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Hermitage, one of the five largest art museums in the world, is located here. There’s also The State Russian Museum, which focuses on Russian artists and The Museum of Non-Conformist Art that celebrates the underground. St. Petersburg is absolutely thriving!
Vienna, London, and St. Petersburg all have their share of treasures from the likes of Michelangelo. But, if you want to experience the Italian Renaissance, you can't beat Italy! From ornate architecture like the Basilica of San Lorenzo to the Botticellis and da Vincis at the Uffizi, this is ground zero for one of the greatest leaps forward in art and culture!
