Museums

Irvine Museum

The Irvine Museum specializes in California Impressionism, a movement between 1890 and 1930 that applied the Impressionist use of color to traditional landscape painting. This produced beautiful work and is a great place to view color usage on masterful originals. Definitely a place to visit if color theory interests you at all.

It is a small museum, taking up half the first floor of an office building. As such, the only works they have on display are that of their current exhibit. Most of the time the art is from their collection, but sometimes they show different work as a contrast.

Admission fees: Free

The Getty

The largest collection of western art on the west coast—everything from Ancient Greece to Post-Modernism. You will come across paintings and sculptures that you have seen in popular art history books like Gardner's, and they are truly something to behond in person. Think of any major historical artist, and there is at least one painting (usually more) created by them here. Plan on spending a whole day, and even then you will not see all they have to offer.

Admission fees: Free; Parking $7

Los Angeles County Museum of Art

LACMA houses a permenant collection that spans world cultures throughout history. Of primary interest to patrons of this site are their classical Greek and Roman sculpture and their varied collection of European art from the Renaissance to Post-Impressionism, including artists like Tintoretto, Rembrandt, Boucher, Gros, Delacroix, Monet, Renoir, and Gauguin.

Admission fees: General $9 (free after 5pm); Student $5; Parking $5-8

The Legion of Honor

A good walk through the history of art from Ancient Egypt to Impressionism and a little beyond, with a focus on Rodin sculptures. The collection is not huge, but includes works from many of the grand masters, and is easily traversable within a day. Located in Lincoln Park, it also offers a beautiful view of the Golden Gate.

Admission fees: General $10 (First Tuesday of each month free)

Cantor Arts Center

The Cantor's permenant collection includes worldwide art from throughout history, much of it a nice departure from the usual western-world focus of most museums and great for inspiration. One of the big reasons to visit is their extensive collection of Ancient Mediterranean art, mostly from Greece with a few Roman sculptures. This includes a couple of the rare Egyptian Faiyum paintings, which are realistic portraits on wood—not what you usually think of when you think about Egyptian art.

Admission fees: Free

Tampa Museum of Art

While focusing on modern and contemporary art, they also have an extensive collection of Ancient Greek and Roman sculptures, pottery, and aspects of ancient daily life. As always, a collection like this is a great place to see the beginnings of western art.

Admission fees: General $8; Student $3

The Art Institute of Chicago

While having a broad range of art from across the ages, the jewels of their collection are in 19th century French Impressionist and Post-Impressionist art. You will still find famous pieces by El Greco and Goya, the beginnings of Impressionism with Caillebotte, but you cannot pass up the works from Cézanne, Gauguin, Gogh, Monet, Renoir, Rousseau, and of course, Seurat.

Admission fees: General $12; Student $7

Princeton University Art Museum

Their permenant collection has a heavy focus on Ancient and Classical Greek and Roman art, and Ancient East Asian art. See where both the east and west art histories began in a single day.

Admission fees: Free

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

It's the Met. You will not see everything in one day, nor will you leave disappointed. Their collection includes art from any period or movement of importance over the last 5,000 years. Ancient Egyptian Art? Got it. Ancient Greek and Roman art? Covered—and uncovered, including an entire painted room from a villa buried in Vesuvius' A.D. 79 eruption. Dutch painter Vermeer only made 36 paintings in his life, and they have two. Sargent's Madame X is there. Check out their collection highlights, it will be better than anything we can describe here.

Admission fees: General $20; Student $10; Parking $15-40

Kunsthistorisches Museum Vienna

A broad range of art from Ancient Egypt and Greece to the end of the Baroque. Their collection includes pieces from Northern European artists such as Dürer, Reubens, and Rembrant, also including "The Artist's Studio" by Vermeer. Their collection also includes pieces from Spain and France, notably from Velázquez.

Admission fees: General €10.00

The Louvre

It's the Louvre. If it is a major piece from a major artist, there is a good chance it is here. Say hi to the Mona Lisa when you visit. Their collection ranges from Egyptian and Greek antiquities to the masters of the 19th century.

Admission fees: General €8.50 - €13

Shefton Museum of Greek Art and Archaeology

Located at the University of Newcastle, the name describes it all. A collection of Ancient Greek art and armor, with a small amount of later Roman sculpture.

Admission fees: Free