Louvre, The Virtual Visit
© 1999 Montparnasse Multimedia
With both great strengths and weaknesses, this DVD-ROM tour of the Louvre fascinates and frustrates! One thousand works of art are profiled, complete with stunning photographs and expert commentary. The coolest feature is the powerful magnifier tool that lets you zoom in to see an expression on a face, a fold of a dress, etc., giving you a real feel for the artist's technique and style. Paintings, sculpture, and artifacts are among the works covered, and biographies of the artists are presented as well. There's a cool first-person virtual tour, and a set of thematic presentations on various artistic eras and themes. The history of the museum itself is also detailed. The overall aesthetic and educational experience afforded by the DVD is a strong one, but the program's flaws are notable. The search function is very weak and hard to use and the navigation can be quite confusing.
$49.95, Win 95/98/ME, Mac OS (CD-ROM), DVD-ROM
Teaches: art, history