[Tagging] Galleries versus art shops

[Craig Wallace]

On 2016-02-15 09:52, Martin Koppenhoefer wrote:
>
> 2016-02-15 10:36 GMT+01:00 Steve Doerr <doerr.stephen at gmail.com
> <mailto:doerr.stephen at gmail.com>>:
>
>     So, in my opinion, are the Van Gogh Museum and Rijksmuseum: were it
>     not for the element 'museum' in their names, we would think of these
>     as art galleries, not museums.
>
>
> I'm not sure for the Van Gogh Museum, but I am sure for the Rijksmuseum
> (because I have been there), that it is correctly named "museum" and not
> "gallery", because they do expose a lot of furniture, and the word
> "gallery" is reserved for paintings (and maybe sculptures). Maybe the
> Van Gogh Museum does deal with van Gogh's life and not just with his
> work, what would explain the term museum for this.

In UK English, a 'gallery' can display all sorts of art, not just 
paintings. So it could include sculpture or furniture etc. Assuming the 
furniture is displayed because of its artistic value, not just because 
it is old.