Have you ever looked at a painting and wanted to be part of it? Look at the starry night sky next to Van Gogh, or admire the beauty of the flourishing colourfulness in Monet’s garden as you stand on the local bridge? Prepare yourself for this might become real! Well, the process of “living in a painting” is yet to mature – but its beginnings are made.

An elaborate virtual-reality-application recently gives visitors of the museum “Alte Nationalgalerie” in Berlin the opportunity to approach “The Monk at the Sea” by Caspar David Friedrich in an entirely new and innovative way. Not only is this painting one of his most popular ones, but because of the comprehensive restoration from 2013-16 it is one of the best explored and investigated ones as well. This makes a very special and still unique point of view possible: with 3D-glasses, the painting becomes a virtual experience! Spectators do not look at it anymore; they become part of it, and feel as if they were literally in it. Like the monk, they are standing within the scenery and there might be the possibility to encounter and face mentioned monk while wandering around. Thus, Virtual Reality (VR) provides an immersion into the painting with a twofold effect: on the one hand, there is the feeling of being a lonely wanderer yourself, facing such forces of nature, on the other hand it shows the numerous layers of the painting composition to trace the painting process of Caspar David Friedrich himself.

For now, this is only one painting in one gallery, but many more are in the planning. And who knows – maybe immersing into and becoming one with it will be a normal way to experience art one day.