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Feeling that you'd like to look at what's going on in the visual art world, but have no time to go gallery-hopping? Been snowed in for five weeks and unable to leave your house to museum browse? Fear not, Google (News - Alert) has a new idea to bring the art to you. The Google Art Project allows users to virtually explore museums from around the world, discover and view hundreds of artworks (you can even zoom in to take a closer look) and even create and share your own virtual “collection” of your favorite masterpieces.

“The Art Project is a collaboration between Google and some of the world's most acclaimed art museums,” notes the website. “Powered by a broad, connected suite of Google technologies, the world's great works of art and museums are now within reach to an unprecedented global audience.”

The project essentially uses Google Street View technology to “map” the interior of the museums, allowing for virtual browsing through the rooms. Users can simply select a museum from the homepage and then either chose “Explore the museum” or “View Artwork.” Once you are in the main site, you can use the drop-down menus or the side info bar to navigate between artworks and museums. You can “move” around the museum’s galleries, selecting works of art that interest you, navigate though interactive floor plans and learn more about the museum you are exploring.

The Google Art Project lets you into 385 gallery rooms with a total of more than 1,000 high-resolution images.

The museums you can explore include the Palace of Versailles, the Van Gogh Museum in the Netherlands, the Freer Gallery of Art at the Smithsonian, the National Gallery and the Tate in London, the Frick Collection in New York City, the Manhattan's Metropolitan Museum of Art and MoMA, and the Ufizi Gallery in Florence, the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia, among others.

Museum lovers and artists can find out more by visiting the project's YouTube (News - Alert) channel.

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