I teach art history. I consume images.

 (Flickr CC image, click image for original)

Finding the digital image I want is difficult but easier than it was a year ago. Today I will tell you about a beta image search engine from Google, Google Similar Images. GSI still lives in Google Labs but is available for use by everyone.

As the name implies GSI takes an image search for, let us say the Grande Odalisque, and provides thumbnails of pictures of the Ingres painting. The results closely resemble those of a standard search for images. But beneath many thumbnails is a link, “Similar Images.

This thumbnail seems more faithful to the color of the original. There is a grayscale image. Here is one that includes the frame of the painting. Another shows a person looking at the painting, providing scale. Here is a detail of the face.

I find the thumbnail that appears closest to my need. I click “Similar Images.” Now I have a new page of thumbnails. The new thumbnails bear a close resemblance to the one I chose from the first search results page.

I usually find what I need from the thumbnails that greet me on the first similar image click.

Getting an image for work is satisfying, but not fun. I will talk about fun next time.