The best museum is whichever one I am standing in today. Art in its purest sense can not be reduced to a list.

That is a good thought, kmh7. My favorite museum is the one in my hometown, and though it is well-regarded, it is not on the order of those listed above. I am also remembering the Gulbenkian in Lisbon which would probably be described in the same manner. I was there about 15 years ago only for a few hours, but it was the most wonderful visit. There is a painting there I remember vividly, still. A trip to a museum in the right frame of mind can do that for you.

Great question, and it brings back so many memories of both museums and specific pieces of art.

My favorite museum is the one at Stanford University in California. Here's why:

-- it's 15 mins. from my house
-- it's free, so you can pop in for a few hours or for a short "fix"
-- it has a wide variety of art, so you can always see something that fits your mood
-- it has a Richard Serra monumental sculpture that I love
-- it has a great cafe.

There you have it!

LisaG

It's subjective and it's personal. As has been said: I don't know much about art, but I know what I like.

I've visited only six of your top twenty. I was disappointed at the Uffizi, because it is somewhat distracting, as charnees noted, but also because, the one time I went, several pieces that I was hoping to see were out on loan elsewhere. I was blown away by all of what is in the Louvre, but found the Musee d'Orsay more enjoyable, perhaps because I like Impressionism, and perhaps because it's easier to take in than the Louvre.

Having grown up in Chicago, I have learned a lot from, and am partial to, the Art Institute of Chicago. I will visit there almost every time I return to the city. Similarly, I try to get to the MoMA whenever I'm in New York.

My wife and I spent hours in the whimsical Teatre Museu Dali in Figueres, Spain. It was such a huge kick to see. It's Dali's own collection, and I don't suppose it makes anyone's top twenty, but what a joy! Go figure!

There is one more museum that I omitted-Barcelona. The architecture in the streets is greater than the art in their museums. The works of Gaudi and Puig and those that they inspired define Barcelona and creates a sense of style that is rarely seen in city.

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
National Portrait Gallery, London
Tate Britain, London
Tate St. Ives
Guggenheim, Bilbao
Peggy Guggenheim, Venice

And many of those already mentioned. Last three on my list are as much about the setting and building as the art.

Would also like to see a list of artists' ateliers such as:

Cezanne, Aix en Provence
Renior, near Cagnes sur mer
Delacroix, Place Fustenberg, Paris
Monet, Giverney

Dave_Ohio, so true about pieces being loaned out or taken down for restoration. Last year I went to the Louvre especially to seek out Leonardo's Virgin with St. Anne (my favorite Leonardo), but was disappointed to find out that it was being restored.

Even worse when it came back, the painting looks radically different than before it was restored. Now the painting is too bright or too clean, much of the dark shadow or Leonardo's vintage is gone

hi kmh7, so let me ask you this, if you're not standing in any one of them today, what would your list of best art museum be like?

and let's cut the philosophical mumbo-jumbo a bit, practical answer is always more appreciated

and let's cut the philosophical mumbo-jumbo a bit, practical answer is always more appreciated
___________
By whom?

I once had the same argument with a professor in graduate school. We were studying Henry Adams who wrote, "Chaos was the law of nature; Order was the dream of man.”

He criticized Jack London for being a different writer at the end of his career then at the beginning. And to parahprase Henry Adams then and to respond to your admonition of kmh7 now, "Chaos is the substance of artists and writers; order is the dream of scholars and critics.

You cannot appreciate art, if you do not appreciate the way others see art and create it.

If we are purely considering "old masters"

The Hermitage wins it for me, hands down. Their Rembrandt room alone is enough to make other museums weep with jealousy. The number and quality is unmatched. There weren't any old master I could think of that I couldn't find there. And their display of them is wonderful (certainly not as horrid as I'd been told).

After that, it's a toss up: Louvre, Vatican Museums, Kunsthistorisches, Rijksmuseum, Met, National Gallery London.

I don't lump the Uffizi into this as I think it's wonderful for Italian art, but not so much other than that. I'll better be able to classify the Berlin and Dresden collections after my trip next week!

Other than "old masters" my favorite museums are:
Marmottan, Thyssen, Frick, Duomo Museum Firenze, Orsay. I just love their collections and could never tire of return visits.

And a shout out to my hometown haunts: MFA and Gardener! I'm blessed to have such excellent collections right outside my back door!

Aduchamp1,

by whom? by someone who's asking the question.

There's a place to be philosophical (like in your case, in scholarly/institutional environment), there's a place for practical, like we are in the internet forum. Right now I don't feel like digesting any philosophical thoughts.

Hi amyb,

yes in term of Rembrandt collection, few can match Hermitage (Rijksmuseum) If you like Rembrandt, you can't go wrong with Hermitage.

I prefer Hermitage over Rijksmuseum too, because, on top of great Dutch collection, they also have strong Italian Renaissance collection, which is one of Rijksmuseum's gap

Hi amyb,

you'd love Dresden collection. They have one of the few iconic pieces in the Western Art, The Sistine Madonna by Raphael. Plus the best Correggio collection anywhere outside Italy, 4 huge altarpieces. Then there's Giorgione's Sleeping Venus, the first nude reclining Venus, the one that starts all the reclning nude trend. Then there's Messina's St. Sebastian, and on, and on. Their Italian collection is just incredible.

Dresden is one of my absolute favorite, that's why I rank it in my top 5

Haven't had time to read through the whole list, but these are some fantastically enjoyable museums in Europe that few people visit:


Gulbenkian (Lisbon)
National Gallery of Umbrian Art (Perugia)
Capodimonte (Napoli)
National Museum of Cinema (Turin)
Episcopal Museum (Vic, Spain)
Kenwood House (London)
Pinocoteca Ambrosiana (Milan)
Paestum Archeological Museum (Paestum)

By the way, Kenwood House is currently under renovation and its wonderful collection is touring the US.

Somebody up top wrote:

"I think art in the Uffizi is poorly displayed"

The Uffizi was bombed very badly in the early 1990s, and while putting many of the paintings behind bomb-proof glass may now be distracting -- and perhaps someday it can be corrected -- the resurrection of the museum was a great triumph.

Hi Vespacurves, thanks for the input.

I have much respect for those relatively unknown art galleries in Italy.

Capodimonte in Naples does have excellent collection. Full room of Titian, major works by Caravaggio, Simone Martini, Raphael, Bellini, Parmigianino. They even have a couple of Bruegels, something even the Uffizi can't brag about. So yeah that' why Capodimonte is in my list

Other superb collection in Italy, and yet relatively unknown:
- Galleria Nazionale di Parma.
The Best Correggio collection anywhere, period. Plus a Leonardo and a beautiful Parmigianino

- Galleria Nazionale delle Umbria in Perugia.
Major works by Piero della Francesca, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Fra Angelico

- Pinacoteca di Bologna. Major works by Raphael and Parmigianino

- Galleria Doria-Pamphilj, Rome. Awesome privately-owned gallery. The best Velazquez portrait is there

- Galleria Nazionale della Marche in Urbino. One of the most famous Western Art is there, Piero's Flagellation of Christ

I've been to all of them, and love every single one of them, especially the gallery in Parma, The Correggios are just soooooooooo beautiful

Other galleries I've never been to, but I'm aware of their existence and would love to go

- Palazzo Abatellis in Palermo
- Galleria Sabauda in Turin
- Accademia Carrara in Bergamo

Which is the Leonardo in Palma? Wasn't aware there's one.

this one, it's just lovely,

La Scapigliata
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_scapigliata

it's an oil painting, not a drawing

and check it out, in its real environment
http://www.italy360.it/italia/parma/...apigliata.html

and here are the Correggios I'm talking about
http://www.italy360.it/italia/parma/...-scodella.html
http://www.italy360.it/italia/parma/...-girolamo.html
http://www.italy360.it/italia/parma/...dei-santi.html

Interesting, wasn't aware of it. Apparently it didn't make it to the London show.

I went to Parma a few years ago for the Correggio show. They built a special structure to allow for the viewing of the Cathedral frescoes.

hi 111op, must be nice. did the structure really take you close-up to the frescoes?

I had to rely on binoculars, as usual