The idea of galleries and museums that anyone can visit is quite a modern one. About two hundred years ago, great works of art were nearly all in palaces or belonged to wealthy collectors who would show them only to their friends. This changed in the early nineteenth century when European countries, such as France and Germany, opened the first great public art galleries. The feeling in these countries was that everyone should be able to enjoy great paintings. It was thought that viewing art was good for ordinary people. Also, people believed that it was good for society for art to be publicly available. Now there are major museums in countries all over the world, and millions and millions of people visit them every year.