New York Met provides free digital access to more than 400,000 pieces of art
by Tom Anstey | 22 May 2014
Claude Monet's 'Houses on the Achterzaan' is just one of thousands available on the new database / Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US has made 394,000 iconic works of art available to the public for free download.
Visitors to the Met’s website can sort images by artist, medium, location and era. The images are generally at least 10 megapixels in size. Dozens of painting by the likes of Monet, Van Gogh and Degas have been uploaded, while more than 500 of Picasso’s works are available for download.
The collection not only includes painted works, but also photographs of Aztec stonework, Greek sculpture and Chinese calligraphy.
The online portfolio represents the first online art gallery of its size, available in high-resolution. Museums have been traditionally more hesitant to reproduce their works, citing concerns over forgery, loss of revenue and lessening the value of original pieces through cheap, unlicensed merchandising.
The Smithsonian has an online collection of around 1.2 million images, videos and audio clips available online, but many are low resolution copies, in an attempt to prevent commercial use.
The images are intended for use by students, educators, researchers and non-commercial content creators, with those wanting use of the images beyond that still having to seek out the Met’s permission for licensing.
To see the full online archive, click here.
New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in the US has made 394,000 iconic works of art available to the public for free download. Visitors to the Met’s website can sort images by artist, medium, location and era. The images are generally at least 10 megapixels in size. Dozens of painting by the likes of Monet, Van Gogh and Degas have been uploaded, while more than 500 of Picasso’s works are
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