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Google's Art and Culture app turns your phone into a museum

It's like Google Photos, Street View and News, but for art.

Art is a big subject. It embodies the values of humanity, preserves our culture and serves as a record of our very history. Jumping into it can be daunting and scary, but Google just made it a little easier: the company's new Art and Culture app puts the works of over 1,000 museums in the palm of your hand. The app is more than just an online gallery, however, it's a suite of tools that allows users to dive deep into each museum's collection and beyond -- borrowing the best of Google Photos, Streetview and 360-degree videos to bring history to life.

Looking for art featuring horses? No problem: the app's search bar works a lot like the feature in Google Photos -- handily pulling out exhibits to match your query. Curious to explore a historic Cathedral? Take a 360-degree tour of St. Paul's with Google Street View, or pop your phone into Google Cardboard for a first-person experience. The app features daily news, themed lists and curated exhibits from partner museums, links to a new YouTube channel and even has a "Art Recognizer" mode that will identify paintings in select museums.

The app may be no substitute for going to your museum, but if you can't make it out to say, the Louvre, it's an incredible, easy way to experience humanity's artistic past.