At some museums you can hire an art history expert as a guide. In addition to learning the basics (era, artist, etc...) you also find out what's important about any particular piece. They tell you what came before or after the painting or sculpture. You find out who was working with whom. Does the piece have an interesting backstory? Questionable provenance? What was the cultural or political environment at the time?

This does have a little blurb as you enter different galleries, but it's pretty broad. It would be neat to have more details per work.

I really wish I had taken an art history course when I was in school...