We recognize most of the world’s most famous artworks from the omnipresent reproductions. But nothing can compare to the possibility of witnessing authentic masterpieces. The most interesting museums in the world are at maximum capacity especially during the holidays, because, despite the crowds, they offer special atmosphere and a unique experience.

The Broad
Los Angeles

This new museum, opened in 2015, is located in a breathtaking building designed by the famous Diller Scofidio + Renfro studio. Founded by philanthropists and art collectors, Eli and Edythe Broad, the private museum is home to over 2,000 works of art by major American contemporary artists, including Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Ed Ruscha, Jeff Koons, and Robert Rauschenberg. The 120,000-square-foot building features two floors of gallery space and is the headquarters of  The Broad Art Foundation.

www.thebroad.org

The museum was named after its creator and main sponsor – Eli Broad, 74-year-old billionaire, philanthropist, art collector, and one of the most influential patrons of culture in LA.

Rijksmuseum
Amsterdam
 

“The Night Watch” by Rembrandt or “The Milkmaid” by Vermeer, who painted only about thirty paintings during his whole life, constitute only a prelude to the fascinating visit in one of the most remarkable museums in the world. The extraordinary collection contains Dutch paintings abundant in still natures, biblical scenes, and landscapes by painters such as Ferdinand Bol, Frans Hals, Pieter de Hooch, Gabriel Metsu and Jan Steen. The museum also has a collection of 19th-century paintings, a collection of material culture from the so-called Dutch Golden Age that contains doll houses and earthenware, as well as a collection of graphics and drawings.

www.rijksmuseum.nl

Prado — National Museum
Madrid
 

The Prado Museum features artwork from the royal collections, dating from the 16th century to the 20th century. Prado is one of the largest museums in the world and is home to the works of art by such artists as El Greco (1514-1614), Velázquez (1599-1660) and Goya (1746-1828), as well as José de Ribera, Francisco de Zurbarán, and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. A great attraction is also a collection of the works by Flemish artist Hieronymus Bosch, Rubens, Brueghel, German artists Dürer and Cranch, and prominent Italians – Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, Tintoretto, or Caravaggio. Of more than 7,500 works of art, the museum displays about one-third of its collection.

www.museodelprado.es

El Greco, "The Nobleman With His Hand On His Chest" (1580)

The Guggenheim
New York
 

Opened in 1959 as the second art museum established by the Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, the museum is located in an iconic, cylindrical building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. It features a unique collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist, and French modern masterpieces. Wojciech Fangor is the only Polish artists whose works have been displayed in The Guggenheim. 37 paintings by this artist were exhibited here in 1970. At present, the museum constitutes a vibrant cultural and educational center and serves as a connecting point for other museums located all over the world.

www.guggenheim.org

Wassily Kandinsky, “Composition 8” (1923)

The Design Museum
London
 

The most prominent museum of modern design was founded in 1989. Conforming to the adage “Design is the way to understand the world,” the museum hosts everything that may be designed, including works of architecture, fashion, graphic design, and commercial design. This spectacular, though small in size, building is located at High Street Kensington.

​www.designmuseum.org

​MoMA — The Museum of Modern Art
New York
 

It is the oldest and one of the largest contemporary art museums in the world. The museum is located in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It displays paintings by Van Gogh, Monet, Pollock, Warhol, Rousseau. Film showings are hosted here every day, and the museum’s library collection contains more than 300 thousand books mostly about the history of contemporary art. Until 17 September, the museum hosts an exhibition “Robert Rauschenberg: Among Friends.”

www.moma.org

Robert Rauschenberg performance „Pelican” (1963)