about ART and Hermitage (long post)

Recently I've discovered this: http://gallerix.ru/album/Hermitage-museum-hi-resolution
Paintings from Hermitage in good resolution. Well of course something nagged me until I browsed through it.

Some memories of my art course came to mind, but what's important I remembered how we were "taught" to understand all types of art. As for me, it didn't succeed, because I still can't see some things as art. Even if they are known as art. 

For example, take this::

Can you really say you'd pay money for it to hang on your wall? Can you say it's something valuable and precious? Can you see artist's heart and skill in it?
Usually people can't say what's painted here if they can't read the nameplate...

Or, something like this:

No matter how I look at it, I just don't see the skill or the big idea. My 5 y.o. niece could have done it. Is it art just because someone says it's art? Because it hangs on museum wall?
I got strictly criticized for thoughts like this by my art prof. "There're many kinds of art" he used to say. That is true.But I just can't see certain things as art. It may be art for someone else, but not for me.

On the other hand, THIS is art:

I wish I had the ability to draw like that. Colors, details... Just love it. ART in its purest form ^^
Another example:

A nice representation of Napoleon (made in 1797). I believe here he's looking better than used to in real life.
So you won't think I like the dark shading, here's something more lively:

I love coloring and scene here too.I admire the skill of the person who painted it. It is very pleasurable to look at it.

You might have formed an opinion that I admire only "traditional" painting. That is not so.
For example, I like some (not all, that I confess) pieces of Van Gogh and Renoir, as well as many others, not so "classic" painters.
But to illustrate Van Gogh and Renoir here's "Cottages" by Van Gogh and "Two sisters" by Renoir (luckily you can easily guess what's what):

It's not "traditional" painting style as you can see. But it's good-looking.

And this is Renoir.
I encourage you to browse that gallery of Hermitage. It's got a small, but decent collection of art pieces. Well, mostly art pieces ^^. Subjectively speaking :)