Chapter 1: The Art around Us

Where do we find “art”? In art museums and galleries, right? But here’s the thing. In Paris, the Louvre, the first real art museum, opened in 1682. The British Museum (London, 1753), the Hermitage (St. Petersburg, 1764) and the Uffizi (Florence, 1765) followed in the next century.

If that sounds like the distant past, consider the fact that art objects have been found dating back over 45,000 years. Clearly, a lot of art was created before the museum age. And even if you don’t read poetry magazines or explore art galleries, art is all around you.