Free museum art, rights and all
Browse The Met, the Rijksmuseum and the Smithsonian together. Every work shows what the museum says about its rights, links to the museum's own page, and tells you how big the full file is.
The museums
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met's Open Access program releases images of artworks it believes to be in the public domain under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). The Met says you can use those images for any purpose, including commercial use, without asking.
Rijksmuseum
The Rijksmuseum publishes images of works in its collection that are in the public domain and dedicates its own reproductions to the public domain. It encourages reuse, including commercial reuse, on Rijksstudio and through its data services.
Smithsonian Institution
Smithsonian Open Access releases millions of images and data records across its museums under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). Records it hasn't released that way carry other usage terms, so the label matters object by object.
Guides
- What Resolution You Need to Print Museum Art at Poster Size
- Copyfraud: When Someone Claims Copyright on Public Domain Art
- How to Check if a Museum Image Is Really Public Domain
- Trademark Words That Get Public Domain Listings Pulled
- Can You Sell Public Domain Art on Etsy?
- The Most Over-Used Public-Domain Paintings (and What to Use Instead)