New Digital Art Project Is Bringing More Than 150,000 British Sculptures Online

"Eve" by Auguste Rodin, 1882

VOLKER HARTMANN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES

There are thousands of public sculptures that can be found in parks, squares, and art museums throughout the UK. Soon, you won't have to visit in person to study these famous contemporary and historical works, though. Art lovers around the world will be able to view them all from their computers thanks to an ambitious new digitization project from Art UK.

The charity organization plans to digitize more than 150,000 publicly owned sculptures in Great Britain by the end of 2020, The Guardianreports. The project includes contemporary sculptures, like a statuette of the Scottish comic character Oor Wullie held by the Dundee Heritage Trust, as well as historical artworks dating back as far as the Medieval era. One of the most famous pieces being featured is Eve, a statue sculpted by the artist Auguste Rodin in 1882.

To complete such an impressive digital collection in just two years, Art UK has imposed a few limits on itself. The organization will only digitize sculptures made after 1000 CE, and decorative and "functional" art pieces don't qualify.

While many of the sculptures being digitized can be easily viewed in outdoor spaces and museum halls, others are usually hidden away in storage. The project aligns with Art UK's greater mission of making art more accessible to the public.

The first 1000 digital sculptures are now available to view at ArtUK.org. When the project is completed, the UK will officially be the first nation on earth with a catalog of all its public sculptures.

[h/t The Guardian]