JD and the world's top museums combine classic art with in-home products

JD has worked with prominent museums around the world to offer products inspired by classic artworks, a potential way of letting consumers enjoy visual masterpieces in their day to day lives.

Celebrating Global Museum Day on 21 October, JD.com has partnered with the Metropolitan Museum of Art (the Met) in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the National Gallery, and Victoria and Albert Museum (the V&A) in London, to launch “Bring Art to Life” initiative. It is hoped to take advantage of the growing popularity of art among China's younger generation and foster a greater understanding of classic art among the nation’s youth.

“The Met’s unique products and educational content feature a global array of art from the museum’s vast collection, which we hope will inspire, delight, and inform Chinese consumers. The Met is so pleased to collaborate with JD.com on this first-ever JD Global Museums Day," said Lisa Silverman Meyers, head of licensing and partnerships of the Met.

One of the products being highlighted is a gift box - manufactured by Chinese cosmetic brand Chando - decorated to resemble a renowned book design by American illustrator Margaret Neilson Armstrong from the Met’s collection. Hygiene brand Tempo has also brought pieces from the Met to life by integrating pieces by Van Gogh (“Wheat Field with Cypresses” and “Irises”) and Henri-Edmond Cross (“Landscape with Sky”) into its product packaging.

In recent years, plenty of museums have turned to e-commerce as a channel for promoting classic artworks. For example, earlier this year, both the Met and the V&A launched stores on JD’s platform.

“Our ‘Bring Art to Life’ collection of products brings some of the world’s most amazing artwork from museum walls into the homes of our sophisticated young Chinese users. By combining the booming interest in classic artwork and JD’s commitment to high quality, unique products, ‘Bring Art to Life’ will introduce the works of artists such as Van Gogh and Monet to new and enthusiastic young audiences in China," said Jing Li, director of JD Brand.