Sainsbury Wing virtual reality tour

While museums around the world are shuttered due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Apollo’s usual weekly pick of exhibition openings will be replaced by a selection of digital initiatives providing virtual access to art and culture.

Not everyone will have a virtual reality (VR) headset at home, but those who do can explore the high-tech virtual tour of the National Gallery’s Sainsbury Wing, which was launched in 2017. The rooms containing the gallery’s collection of early Renaissance paintings were all scanned using a 3D camera, capturing some 270 paintings in three dimensions. For the rest of us, there’s a 360-degree tour available, which can be navigated on desktop or mobile. The interface is elegant and easy to use, with minimal layers of information, allowing virtual visitors to appreciate impressive sight lines such as the view of Raphael’s Mond Crucifixion (then in Room 60) through the enfilade of galleries beyond. Visit the National Gallery’s website to explore the tour.

Preview below | View Apollo’s Art Diary here