Sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded of the magic that comes from standing in front of a work of art in person. The Met’s latest podcast, a discussion worth listening to between two greats–Philippe de Montebello and curator Keith Christiansen–on the famous Duccio acquisition did just that for me tonight.

There’s simply nothing like seeing a work of art in person.  After all, do projected Powerpoints or captioned dimensions really mean anything? Standing in front of the actual artwork and realizing its true size in relation to a person almost always adds a whole new dimension to the work. TAHB’s Art in Real Life series aims to add a little of that feeling to internet-art-viewing by presenting photos of art history’s master works… “in real life”.

The first installment of “Art in Real Life” is in Paris, home to countless masterworks of art. I was lucky enough to go to Paris when I was abroad, and annoyed many of my friends by insisting they stand in front of artwork so I could get shots of how large the piece actually was.  Have you, too, wondered just how big David’s Oath of the Horatii is or whether you’re taller than the Mona Lisa?  Browse out some highlights from the Louvre and the Musée d’Orsay by clicking through the slideshow below…

This tiny “street art” installation has been making the rounds across the internet lately.  Its whimsical concept is a fun and clever take on installation art by an artist named Slinkachu — I only wish I lived in London so I could run into (or perhaps more accurately, try not to step on!) one of these little installations one day.

A view of the street…	…and a closeup.

View more, read the blog, and buy the book at the Little People blog.

Here’s an exhibition on my list to visit the next time I’m in the city: Frick’s Vermeers Reunited at, of course, the Frick.  The steel giant owned three of the mysterious Northern master’s enigmatic paintings, which are usually displayed in separate areas of the mansion-museum.  At this point, because there are so few uncontested Vermeers (the usual number is 36, give or take), his paintings almost never travel and, as a result, it’s very rare to be able to see even a few Vermeers right next to each other.  This is a fantastic opportunity to compare three very different Vermeers from various periods during his life, right next to each other.

Frick’s Vermeers Reunited | Now through November 2, 2008 | The Frick Collection, 1 East 70th St. | Image above from the Frick exhibition website.

We all know about the Met’s new director, but it seems director jobs are in flux throughout the museum world.  Richard Armstrong, longtime director of a museum close to my heart and home, the Carnegie Museum of Art, has just recently been appointed director of the Guggenheim Foundation.  The Carnegie has been a leader in contemporary and modern art for a long time (see my review on this year’s Carnegie International), so Armstrong is a logical next choice.  I’ll be interested to see what the Guggenheim does under his direction — congratulations to him.

News from Artforum.com