Since its foundation in 1759, the British Museum has seen over three hundred million visitors cross its threshold. Its closure on 17 March as a result of the countrywide lockdown has changed the museum’s role almost beyond recognition.
Hartwig Fisher, director of the British Museum, has lamented its closure, noting that: “Museums are meant to be enjoyed by people.”
“The objects want to be seen . . . when we closed on March 17, I walked through the empty galleries and the most striking thing was the feeling that the objects were looking at you.”
Fisher is not alone in his concern. Indeed, with 95 per cent of museums closed at the height of the pandemic, it seems that those who remain open are the exception, not the rule.
Anna Hyltze, the acting director of the Gothenburg the Museum of Art, echoes Fisher’s sentiment, and has made the decision to reopen the gallery, capping visitor numbers to 50 at any given time. She says: “Art should not be forgotten in this deepest of crises,” continuing that: “When our everyday life is limited, as it is now, the museum can offer a physical space that inspires.”
While Florence’s Uffizi remains closed in until 17 May, in accordance with the Italian government’s guidelines, director Eike Schmidt, says that: “I walk through rooms with world-famous paintings and I am the only viewer. Normally this would be a privilege, but it’s as eerie as a Giorgio de Chirico painting.”
He continues that: “You can’t be in the galleries for more than 20 minutes without hearing sirens — a reminder of the sad reason for our closure.”
Daniel Weiss, the president of the Met, finds himself mourning the closure of the galleries too. He concludes: “Art is not an amenity; it’s a central part of the human experience.”
