Touring Museums: Self-Improvement on the Fly

A few of the hundreds of tourist on the go who photograph, pause, glance
and admire the Venus de Milo at the Louvre
(photo credit: elatawiec62/flickr)

In an article titled "At Louvre, Many Stop to Snap but Few Stay to Focus" by Michel Kimmelman of the New York Times writes an insightful article about the tourists visiting museums using the landmark Paris museum as an example.

From the article: "So tourists now wander through museums, seeking to fulfill there lifetime's art history requirement in a day, wondering whether it may now be the quantity of material they pass by rather than the quality of concentration they bring to what few things they choose to focus upon that determines whether they have "done" the Louvre. It's self-improvement on the fly."

My opinion is these famous art museums are quite overwhelming for the senses. Tourists knowing their time in the city is very limited, feel it necessary to rush through works on display. The camera (where permitted) allows the visitor to wonder the museum quickly to adore the art at a later date rather than in person.

Click HERE for the full article and read more as Kimmelman answers the question "What exactly are we looking for when we roam as tourists around museums?"

Visitors at the Louvre: some engage directly with the art while others take
pictures of pictures.
(caption credit: The New York Times/photo credit: Valerio Mezzanotti)