Google Arts & Culture

We often get the impression that every new tab page you open in Google Chrome is a bit of a wasted opportunity, as it is certainly possible to take advantage of this space and display something a lot more interesting.

If you feel the same way, you should consider trying out Google Arts & Culture. It is a nifty extension that adds a bit of color to your browser by showing a painting from the Google Cultural Institute whenever a new tab is opened.

Google Arts & Culture was created with the intention of providing public access to high-resolution pictures of artworks housed by numerous museums from around the world. Tens of thousands of paintings are included, so there is plenty for you to see.

The extension selects a painting from the collection at random and uses it as the background for each new tab you open. If the artwork is particularly interesting, you can click its description to view its page on the Google Cultural Institute website.

By default, Google Arts & Culture picks a new image from the online database each day, but you can also have it display a different painting whenever you open a new tab.

Your most visited pages can still be accessed easily by clicking the new button added in the bottom-right corner of the page, a very useful feature indeed. It is possible to bring up your Google apps and open the default new tab page using the other two buttons displayed in the top-left corner.

All of these buttons are entirely optional, so you can keep the new tab page as clear as you like and enjoy the paintings without any distractions.

Google Arts & Culture is not solely intended for those who have a passion for art, as we can guarantee the masterpieces it puts at your disposal will spark the curiosity of just about anyone. The extension brings a bit more life to your desktop, and learning a bit more about the art world is certainly not a bad thing.