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Celebrating the National Gallery on Google Arts & Culture

Nov 13, 2024

[[read-time]] min read

Dive deep into the stories behind iconic works and create your own musical interpretations of art powered by Google AI.

Gabriele Finaldi
Director of the National Gallery
museum gallery with classical paintings displayed on the walls and text overlay: "The National Gallery Reframed" and "Explore 200 years of history and 200 artworks like never before.”

Editor’s note: The National Gallery is an iconic art gallery in London's Trafalgar Square. For its 200th anniversary, the gallery's director introduces a new collaboration with Google Arts & Culture.

The National Gallery is celebrating its Bicentenary. To celebrate two centuries of bringing people and paintings together, we are undertaking a year-long festival of art, creativity, and imagination and today we're thrilled to announce an inspiring new collaboration with Google Arts & Culture, The National Gallery Reframed. Building on more than 13 years of partnership, this exciting project brings 200 of our most treasured paintings to life in the digital realm, offering new and engaging ways to experience these works, including through music and AI with the National Gallery Mixtape.

Unprecedented detail

Explore 200 paintings in extraordinary detail, thanks to Google Arts & Culture’s ultra-high resolution digitisation, revealing nuances often invisible to the naked eye. Zoom in on Van Gogh's Sunflowers (1888) to see the subtle texture of the canvas, the thick impasto strokes that give the flowers their dimension, and the artist's vibrant yellow palette. Re-discover the mysterious scene in Van Eyck's The Arnolfini Portrait (1434), from the inscription on the back wall to the figures reflected in the mirror. Or marvel at the delicate brushwork in Gossaert's The Adoration of the Kings (1510-15), particularly the king’s gifts and the angels’ wings. Browse these iconic paintings by time or colour and gain a new perspective on artistic detail.

  • Bunch of yellow and brown sunflowers in a vase on a table.

    Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers, 1888

  • A man and a woman stand holding hands in a furnished room with a small dog at their feet.

    Jan van Eyck, Portrait of Giovanni(?) Arnolfini and his Wife, 1434

  • Three wise men present gifts to the baby Jesus, who is held by the Virgin Mary, while angels and onlookers surround them in a detailed, ruined architectural setting.

    Jan Gossaert (Jean Gossart), The Adoration of the Kings, 1510/1515

  • A woman in a turban, identified as Saint Catherine, holds a palm branch and rests her hand on a spiked wheel, gazing outward from the painting.

    Artemisia Gentileschi, Self Portrait as Saint Catherine of Alexandria, 1593-1654 or later

Unveiling hidden stories

Going beyond the images, you can delve into the rich history of the National Gallery and its collection through more than 25 captivating stories. Read about the Gallery's first bequest, Rembrandt's A Woman bathing in a Stream (1654) or how the pigment orpiment is used in one of the oldest paintings in the Gallery’s collection. Learn about the discovery made through the scientific analysis of Leonardo da Vinci’s Virgin of the Rocks (1491-1506/8) or about the amazing life of Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun (1755-1842). These stories offer a glimpse into the fascinating world of art history and the dedicated research behind the collection.

  • A painting depicting a woman bathing, with soft lighting highlighting her form and the surrounding atmosphere

    Rembrandt, A Woman bathing in a Stream (Hendrickje Stoffels?), 1654

  • A religious painting featuring the Virgin Mary seated on a throne, holding the Child Jesus, surrounded by various biblical scenes and figures.

    Margarito d'Arezzo, The Virgin and Child Enthroned, with Scenes of the Nativity and the Lives of the Saints, 1263/1264

  • A painting depicting the Virgin Mary seated amidst rocky terrain, accompanied by the Child Jesus and two angels, set against a serene landscape.

    Leonardo da Vinci, The Virgin of the Rocks, 1491-1506/8

  • A portrait of a young woman in a straw hat, holding a palette and brushes against a blue background.

    Elisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun, Self Portrait in a Straw Hat, 1782

The music of art

Finally, we’re launching National Gallery Mixtape, a new dimension of experiencing art through music. National Gallery Mixtape is an interactive experience that transforms our paintings into musical compositions with the help of Google AI. It invites you to discover and create personalised soundtracks from the collection through two modes:

  • Scores: Drag and drop up to six artworks onto the ‘score’ to generate music based on the AI’s analysis of the paintings. Add ‘stickers’ to influence the sounds and reflect your own emotional response or mood.
  • Mixer: Layer and mix the sounds together, much like a DJ using virtual faders.

This experiment bridges the gap between visual art and music, offering a unique and engaging way to connect with these timeless works. It invites you to explore the emotions and atmosphere evoked by each painting through a new sensory experience. I was thrilled to curate my own musical response to the collection, responding to portrayals of love from Cupid and Psyche to Watteau. I’ve added my own twist by pairing the paintings with unexpected musical genres, instruments and emotions — imagine salsa with Poussin or an electric guitar inspired by Watteau. Have a look and listen!

Yellow poster with pictures and the title 'Mixtape'

The National Gallery Reframed is just one of the many ways we're celebrating our Bicentenary and making art accessible to everyone, everywhere. Whether you're an art enthusiast or just beginning your journey of discovery, we invite you to join us online and in person as we continue to mark this special milestone.

Visit goo.gle/NG200 and explore the National Gallery's collection in a whole new light.

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