# Boulevard AR — Art where you are

> Augmented reality app for exploring famous art in your personal space. (iPhone/iPad app by Boulevard Arts, Inc..)

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulevard-ar/id1341182104 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`)
- Developer: [Boulevard Arts, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1341182103)
- Category: Education, Entertainment
- Price: Free
- Rating: 3.40/5 from 59 App Store ratings · 39 written reviews indexed
- Age rating: 4+
- Requires: iOS 11.0 · 377 MB
- Languages: American English
- Released: 2018-03-29
- Data updated: 2026-06-10
- Monetization: free
- User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulevard-ar/id1341182104/reviews.md

## What is Boulevard AR?

Exploring works of art has never been this up close and personal. Boulevard AR brings art to you, wherever you are, and now features three important paintings from London’s National Portrait Gallery collection. Representing 20th-century Nobel-Prize winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin, renowned 19th-century painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti, alongside his friend, the critic and novelist Theodore Watts-Dunton, and lastly Sir Henry Unton, a diplomat and soldier from the Elizabethan era, Boulevard AR’s offerings reveal secrets and tell stories across a 400-year span.
  
Curators from the National Portrait Gallery narrate the immersive experiences and guide users through select aspects, allowing for independent exploration of these fascinating artworks. You can place any of the portraits on a wall, in your own space, and move towards them for close-up looking; tap to activate unique elements in each. Music and layered effects make your augmented reality encounters with history even more meaningful and complete.  

Bring each of these portraits into your world and see what unfolds.


-"Eye of the Beholder” update adds optics theme to the mix.  

-Simple UI: tap to interact.

-User-driven experience: self-guided discovery and interactivity.

-8K image: user can get closer than ever possible in a museum! See fine details of brushwork and application of paint.

-Boulevard Arts ecosystem provides engaging and entertaining interdisciplinary learning opportunities. 

-Optimized for iOS 11 with ARKit.

*Music credits:
Unton: Lachrimae, or Seven Tears - 9. Sir Henry Umpton's Funeral by I Solipsisti is licensed under CC by 3.0
Hodgkin: Momentum - Stock media provided by Michael Weber Music/Pond5
Rossetti: Mendelssohn, Songs Without Words Op. 30 no. 1 - Stock media provided by Michael Weber Music/Pond5

## Key features

- Place 8K portraits in your space
- Activate unique interactive elements
- Narrated curator guides
- Close-up detail viewing
- Immersive audio and visual effects
- User-driven exploration

## Recent user reviews (10 of 39)

All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulevard-ar/id1341182104/reviews.md

### 1/5 — Refund

*2024-08-13*

Literally has been 6 years since this came out bought it only for 3 painting and still optimized for 9.7 in iPads something needs to happen

**Developer response:** Hello B.i.G-O23, We are happy to hear that you're enjoying Boulevard AR! Wanted to let you know that we will have additional works coming to the app this summer. Just make sure to keep the app updated on your device, and you will see what is new when it arrives in the App Store.

### 1/5 — Refund

*2023-07-06*

Literally it’s been almost a year just to add 1 extra painting I don’t find this app useful at all going to be deleted.

**Developer response:** Hello B.i.G-O23, We are happy to hear that you're enjoying Boulevard AR! Wanted to let you know that we will have additional works coming to the app this summer. Just make sure to keep the app updated on your device, and you will see what is new when it arrives in the App Store.

### 4/5 — Like the idea

*2020-11-15*

Interesting AR implementation for learning, but I’d like to see caption/subtitle options and more paintings.

### 1/5 — No more updates?

*2020-10-07*

So no more updates for the past 2 years, and stopped at 3 paintings in total?

### 3/5 — Works well, but not ideal for iPad Pro

*2020-04-23, version 2.0*

Using the 2020 11” pro. The app works pretty well, but isn’t ideal for the screen dimensions. You get big black bars on both sides of the display, so that sorta detracts from the experience

### 1/5 — Only 3 paintings

*2020-01-10, version 2.0*

I’m very disappointed. The three paintings there are great- but there are only 3!

### 1/5 — Refund

*2019-02-10, version 2.0*

Literally it’s been almost a year just to add 1 extra painting I don’t find this app useful at all going to be deleted.

**Developer response:** Hello B.i.G-O23, We are happy to hear that you're enjoying Boulevard AR! Wanted to let you know that we will have additional works coming to the app this summer. Just make sure to keep the app updated on your device, and you will see what is new when it arrives in the App Store.

### 3/5 — Really amazing app but for it to be really something it needs a update!

*2018-11-30, version 2.0*

Boulevard AR is a really wonderful app, as a art student I found it opened up new ways of thinking and critiquing art with it’s viewing and podcast like feature.
 However for 2.99 I would have expected more than just three paintings featured, hopefully their will be an update of some more paintings soon, maybe even statuary would be interesting...

### 1/5 — Can’t scan my art at home

*2018-10-17*

I downloaded this app to learn more about the art we have in our home but the only options I seem to have access to are the three works that currently come with the app. Not sure if it’s operator error on my part or if the app’s description was misleading, but I could have bought an ice cream cone for $2.99 instead. 😕

**Developer response:** Gundy Gberger-

It sounds like you were maybe looking for a different app. Boulevard AR brings the world’s great art to you in augmented reality. It is not an image recognition tool - Google’s reverse image search will do a pretty good job of that if you are looking to find out more about the art that’s already in your home. 

We do hope however, that you were able to learn about the works featured in Boulevard AR from wherever you are.

### 1/5 — Worthless at best

*2018-10-16*

Content There are 3 subjects to look at and the interface completely disappoints.  Not sure what the 5 star ratings were seeing the app is nothing less than a scam.  Claims made on the capability’s of the app very overstated or maybe just not obvious. Please save your money

**Developer response:** TFKIII55-
It sounds like you maybe were unable to expand and open up the paintings to get not only fulsome information and scholarship on each but also to truly experience them in ways only possible with augmented reality. 

After you place the painting on the floor or on the wall and listen to the introductory audio, tap the gray diamonds on the bottom of the screen to see and hear the works really come alive.

Hope that helps!

## Frequently asked questions about Boulevard AR

### What does Boulevard AR do?

Boulevard AR allows you to bring famous works of art, specifically portraits from the National Portrait Gallery, into your own environment using augmented reality. You can place these high-resolution images on your walls and interact with them to discover details and stories.

### What are the key features of Boulevard AR?

Key features include placing 8K resolution portraits in your personal space, activating unique interactive elements within each artwork, and listening to narrated guides from curators. The app offers close-up viewing of fine details and immersive audio-visual effects for a richer experience.

### Is Boulevard AR free to use?

Yes, based on the provided information, Boulevard AR is a free application. There are no mentions of in-app purchases or subscription fees, indicating it is available at no cost to the user.

### What kind of art can I explore with Boulevard AR?

Boulevard AR currently features three important paintings from London’s National Portrait Gallery: a portrait of Nobel-Prize winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin, one of painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, and a depiction of diplomat Sir Henry Unton. These artworks span a 400-year historical period.

### What are the system requirements for Boulevard AR?

The application is optimized for iOS 11 and utilizes ARKit. This means it is designed to run on Apple devices that support ARKit, ensuring a smooth and interactive augmented reality experience.

## Version history (last 4 releases)

### 2.0 — 2018-07-26

This app has been updated by Apple to display the Apple Watch app icon.

Added two new paintings from National Portrait Gallery, London:
- Portrait of Nobel-Prize winning chemist Dorothy Hodgkin 
- Portrait of renowned 19th-century painter and poet Dante Gabriel Rossetti and his friend, the critic and novelist Theodore Watts-Dunton

### 1.0.4 — 2018-05-12

Fixed: Error launching when loaded on some devices.

### 1.0.3.1 — 2018-04-05

Minor Fixes

### 1.0 — 2018-03-29

No release notes.

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## More apps by Boulevard Arts, Inc.

- [Boulevard x ED](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/boulevard-x-ed/id1446789150)
- [BLVRD Features](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blvrd-features/id1485805907)
- [BLVRD Sketches](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/blvrd-sketches/id1593277874)

All apps by Boulevard Arts, Inc.: https://appshunter.io/developer/1341182103

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-06-10.*