As a painter, I am tremendously excited to be able to take a closer look at some of these paintings than I could in their galleries, and to have so many works from so many collections in one place. I'm itching with anticipation to look at each individual brush-stroke. I'm actually giggling with glee.
Just what I was thinking! The high-resolution view is great - the texture of the brush strokes really show. Gives a better idea of some of the technique involved.
Hackers, check out the behind-the-scenes video at http://www.googleartproject.com/c/faq which shows the variety of tech used, including both bike-pulled and pushcart-style cameras that draw upon the street view technology.
I love living in the future.