You know the painting before you reach it. You have seen it in books, on postcards, on a screen. Then you stand in front of it, and a different question arrives: what should I look for?
That moment is where Athena begins. We’re happy to share that Athena: Art & Museum is now on the App Store. It brings the stories behind artworks into a few minutes you can watch, listen to, or read—at home before a trip, or with the work in front of you.
Watch the art come into view
Press play above for Athena’s introduction, then try this seven-second opening from the Mona Lisa story. In the app, the opening leads into the narrated film, with the artwork on screen.
A silent gallery introduction using the real painting in an AI-created setting. The complete narrated story is included in Athena.
A familiar face, a story still to discover
The Mona Lisa’s smile. The sweep of the Winged Victory of Samothrace. The curling edge of The Great Wave. Familiarity can make it easy to glance, recognize, and move on. A story gives you a reason to stay.
Athena includes 22 artwork stories, with works such as Girl with a Pearl Earring, Las Meninas, and The Starry Night. Each story has three ways in: a short film, narration with the artwork on screen, and text. Choose the one that suits the moment. Read quietly in a gallery, listen while looking at the picture, or watch a film before your visit.
A museum visit with a little more direction
A great museum offers more than anyone can absorb in one afternoon. Choosing a path helps you give a few works the attention they deserve.
The app includes a guide to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, with eight works presented stop by stop. At the Louvre, you can search works, browse by wing, and see where a work is located.
For a deeper Louvre visit, an optional, one-time in-app purchase unlocks 60 additional stories and two walking-order guides: Highlights, with 14 stops, and The long visit, with 22. Each stop includes its room. That Louvre collection is a separate purchase from the stories included with the app.
Make room for the artwork
Before leaving for the museum, download a guide over Wi-Fi. Downloaded stories play without a connection, so you can keep listening when reception becomes patchy. The playback bar lets you return to a detail or pick up a story where you want.
Athena needs no account and has no advertising or tracking. The app collects no data. You can begin with the art.
Your first story is waiting
You don’t need an ambitious itinerary to begin. Pick one work you recognize, spend a few minutes with its story, and look again. Perhaps your eye will settle somewhere new: on a gesture, a face in the background, or the space between two figures.
That is our invitation with Athena. Give a work a little time, and see what stays with you.
Download Athena on the App Store
Available for iPhone and iPad. Explore Athena or read the visit and download guide. Athena is independently made by TravelPal LLC and is not affiliated with the Louvre or the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Pictures: official Athena app screenshots and welcome-film artwork. See artwork credits and image licences. Release features checked against the App Store listing on October 31, 2026.