Skip to main content

Become a cultural aficionado with Google’s improved art searches

Searching for art just got better. Where will you start?
Nothing screams culture quite like a developed knowledge of the world’s greatest art masterpieces, and now, Google wants to help you become a true connoisseur. Thanks to Google’s newest update to its Search function, you’ll be able to “access more  relevant results … and dive deeper into topics of interest.” Moreover, the tech giant has also added a feature to Street View that will serve as your digital museum guide as you peruse the gilded halls that contain some of the greatest achievements in human creativity.

Each month, Google sees more than 500 million art-related searches. And to help further refine those searches, the Google Arts & Culture team has partnered with Google Search engineers to improve how the company’s “systems understand and recognize artworks, the places you can see them in person, the artists who made them, the materials they used, the art period they belong to, and the connections among all these.”

That means that when you search an artist (say Leonardo Da Vinci), you’ll be shown an interactive Knowledge Panel that highlights other information of note, like a collection of his (or her) work, or the museums where you can find their most revered pieces. For some images, you’ll be able to click through to see high-resolution imagery from the highfalutin Google Arts & Culture team.

Google has also improved its Street View tour for art aficionados, and has made it possible to virtually walk through a museum and check out various pieces, complete with annotations on the wall directly next to the artwork. If you click on the annotation, you’ll be able to explore more analysis still, provided by “hundreds of the world’s renowned museums.”

These latest features were made possible with Google’s visual recognition software, which scanned the walls of participating museums, and then identified and categorized the 15,000 works they contained. So if you’re looking to impress your date (or just yourself) with your vast knowledge of art, Google may be a good place to start.

Editors' Recommendations

Lulu Chang
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Fascinated by the effects of technology on human interaction, Lulu believes that if her parents can use your new app…
Huge Google Chrome update includes improved tab groups and a built-in PDF reader
20 million chrome users downloaded fake ad blockers google sq

Google shared some new improvements coming to its Chrome web browser, including faster loading times, a built-in PDF reader, and updates to tab groups.

In a post penned by Alex Ainslie, director of user interface at Chrome, Google lists out and explains how the new features will help Chrome users stay more productive. Addressing common complaints about Chrome using up too many system resources, at the top of that list includes some under the hood performance improvements for Chrome. Google says that with changes to profile guides optimization and tab throttling, the browser will now be 10% faster.

Read more
Here’s how the Google logo has changed over the last 20 years
Google Search

The colorful Google logo is one of the most recognizable global brands ever created. Sure, it looked a bit rough in the beginning, but Google's clever refinements over the last two decades show an interesting transition that now results in the crisp, clear icon we know and love today.

If you're feeling nostalgic or simply curious about the brand's visual timeline, here's a look back at how the Google logo has changed over the last 20 years. Enjoy!
Humble beginnings
The very first version of the Google logo was never going to win any design awards. Likely created using one of the standalone 3D text generators sold in the 1990s, it's a real reminder of just how ugly the early days of the internet could be.

Read more
U.K.: Google and Apple’s billion-dollar search engine deal stifles competition
Google Logo

Google and Apple’s billion-dollar search engine deal is under fire in the United Kingdom. The country’s competition watchdog is investigating the exuberant sum Google pays Apple every year to be the default search engine on Safari -- which the regulators say creates “a significant barrier to entry and expansion” for rivals.

According to an updated study on online platforms and digital advertising filed by the U.K. government’s Competition and Markets Authority (via Reuters), Google shelled out 1.2 billion British pounds (about $1.5 billion) last year to be the go-to search engine on browsers across a range of devices in the U.K., the “substantial majority” of which went to Apple.

Read more