High-quality art used to be the preserve of the elite. However, things have changed. If you’re a lover of beauty and creativity, you can now see stunning works of art regardless of the social group you happen to fall into. This brief guide talks you through some of the ways you can immerse yourself in the world of paintings, sculptures and more.
See some of the planet’s best art on a budget
Big cities are often the best places to see great art for reasonable prices, and New York is no exception. As long as you know where to look in the Big Apple, you can treat your senses to some of the finest creations the world has to offer. For example, the Museum of Arts and Design is home to an impressive selection of historic and contemporary artworks, and you can get discount vouchers for a cheaper admittance. Concessions are also available to seniors and students, while the under 18s get in for free. Themed temporary exhibitions at the museum showcase everything from paintings to jewellery and sculpture.
Another artistic hotspot is London. There, you can make your way to venerated establishments like the National Gallery, which is home to over 2,000 Western European paintings dating from the Middle Ages to the 20thcentury. You can check out works by the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Botticelli, Van Gogh and Renoir, and the best thing is, entry is free.
The Tate in London is also free to enter, and it boasts an array of paintings by British artists from 1500 to the present day, including contemporary geniuses like Lucian Freud, Francis Bacon and Damien Hirst.
Bag yourself a bargain
Of course, seeing great paintings is one thing, while owning them is something else entirely. Luckily, there are plenty of superb artworks for sale these days, and many of them at reasonable prices. A useful place to start if you’re keen to bag a bargain is a contemporary art fair, like the New York Affordable Art Fair. This year, the event will run from March 25-29 and will showcase thousands of contemporary pieces ranging in price from $100 to over $10,000.
With high-quality works now so accessible, there has never been a better time to be an art lover.
Image by New York City Department of Transportation, used under the Creative Commons license.
