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Descriptive Essay On Museums

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Many of my happiest childhood memories occurred in museums. From a young age, my mother always reminded me of how lucky I am to live in such close proximity to some of the world’s finest cultural institutions. As a child, my family took many weekend trips to museums in New York City. It was during one of MoMA’s free Friday night promotions that I saw “Starry Night” by Vincent Van Gogh for the first time in person. As I approached “Starry Night,” I noticed a crowd circled around the painting. However, when I got closer to the crowd I noticed that many people were simply taking a selfie with the world-renowned painting before walking away, failing to take the time to appreciate the painting. In the article “A Starry Night Crowded With Selfies” published in the New York Times in late September 2017, Ann Temkin explains that “It’s as if taking a photo of a work in a museum means ‘seeing’ it to a viewer…”. Furthermore, an increasing number of museum visitors desire to take a selfie with the artwork instead of taking the time to experience the artwork. On that Friday night I enjoyed Van Gogh’s masterpiece, observing the vibrant colors and thick brush strokes pictures fail to portray.
Museums manifest that artwork is more than just pictures of beautiful landscapes and fashions of the past; artwork provides an exclusive view into the elusive lives of people throughout history who experienced many different circumstances. However, while viewing and analyzing artwork provides a

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