by Ian

Created on: March 03, 2007   Last Updated: May 08, 2007

If you want to view the finest collection of statues in the world, the Musee d'Orsay, Paris, is the one to visit. And statues, being three-dimensional, are best seen in the round. If you can't make it to a top museum, a good website for Italian statues is http://www.scultura-italiana.com/

The Internet has many fine arts websites and, if you're into fantasy and science-fiction art, there is little choice but to browse the Internet, because most galleries and museums are too old-fashioned to keep up with this form of art. One of my favourite websites for fantasy art is http://therionweb.de/

Small local museums and galleries mostly show amateur artwork, which varies enormously. I was lucky last year when my local museum put on a exhibition by the UK's top fantasy/sci-fi artist Les Edwards. He's won the British Fantasy Art Award about 5 times. Try his excellent website: http://www.lesedwards.com/

When it comes to the old masters, many of their works must be viewed in physical galleries to appreciate their brushwork and the way light falls on the canvas. Constable is a good example. Prints of his paintings look flat and uninspired, but when you view an original Constable and see the way light shines on individual leaves, you realise why he is one of the greats.

You'll find Constable paintings in London's National Gallery. It's one of the world's finest galleries, with a huge selection of art from pre-Renaissance to Impressionism (no sci-fi). Some of its paintings are huge! You get no idea of their scale from Internet graphics. You must stand in front of them to appreciate them.

London is arguably the arts capital of the world. You can't turn a corner in central London without bumping into a statue or a gallery or a museum. For a taster of my favourites in London, visit http://homepages.tesco.net/ian.cox99/index.htm

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