APP STORE AWARDS

Cultural Impact Winner: DailyArt

DailyArt

Daily Dose of Art History

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By connecting great works of art with the world at large, DailyArt helped us take a much-needed beat for beauty, each and every day.

—App Store Editors

We never realized how inspiring art could be until we discovered DailyArt. Each morning, this friendly education app shares a painting, a pastel, an ink drawing, a woodcut, a figurine, or another type of artwork—along with a charming, personal take on what makes it great.

The app’s insightful and sometimes tongue-in-cheek selections make art created hundreds of years ago feel relevant today. On the first day of summer, for example, it bubbled up a Monet bursting with sunflowers. For Halloween, it shared a third-century BCE mosaic depicting a skeleton with a cup, a loaf of bread, and this advice: “Be cheerful, enjoy your life.”

Browse by curated collections, artists, theme, and other categories, or view the daily pick.

World events were also woven into the mix. Women’s History Month was full of discovery: In addition to the usual famous artists, the app acquainted us with the oldest known self-portrait by a female painter (by Catharina van Hemessen) as well as an apricot blossom painted by Ma Yuan of the Song Dynasty. When athletes competed in Paris this summer, DailyArt featured a terra-cotta jar decorated with runners—a prize awarded to winners at Athens’ Panathenaic Games.

Although the app curates across centuries and movements, it never gets lost in art-speak. Léon Bonvin’s Still Life With Celery, for example, gets a rousing introduction: “It’s time for some veggies!”

Throughout the year, checking in with DailyArt began to feel like chatting with a long-lost, art-loving friend. “When I saw this painting,” read one introduction, “I thought it could be a good illustration for all Monday struggles.” Another asked of the featured work: “Beautiful isn’t it? :)”

It was beautiful—and without DailyArt, we never would have known it.

Quick tip

DailyArt helps you discover great art in person too. The app has guides for nearly 40 cities worldwide, highlighting where to see Rembrandt and Van Gogh pieces in Amsterdam and Diego Rivera’s murals in Mexico City.

Fun fact

DailyArt has a dedicated team of volunteer translators and editors who are located around the world. Thanks to their efforts, the app is available in 23 languages.

Meet the creator

Prior to launching DailyArt in 2012, art historian Zuzanna Stańska helped museums leverage mobile technology. She remains dedicated to highlighting history’s hidden gems. “There is one masterpiece that we have never published—and I like to joke we will publish it for our last day: the Mona Lisa,” Stańska says. “At least DailyArt can recognize other amazing pieces of art as more important.”