How to Download High-Resolution Images from The Met
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has released hundreds of thousands of images under Open Access. Here's how to find and download the full-resolution files.
Quick answers
- How do I download high-resolution images from The Met?
- Open any Open Access object on the Met's collection site and use the download control on the image, choosing the largest size offered. Met Open Access works are released under CC0, so the full-resolution file is free to download and reuse, including commercially.
- Are Met images free to use commercially?
- Open Access works are. The Met releases public-domain works under CC0, which permits commercial use, modification, and redistribution with no fee, permission, or attribution requirement. Works outside Open Access remain restricted.
- Why can't I download some Met images?
- If no download control appears, the work is usually still in copyright or the Met does not hold reproduction rights, so it sits outside Open Access. The absence of a download option is a reliable signal that the image is not cleared for reuse.
- How large are Met Open Access files?
- Sizes vary by object, but many paintings and prints are several thousand pixels on the long edge, which is enough for most print work. Always take the largest option offered rather than a display-sized preview.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art has placed a huge share of its collection online under an Open Access program: images of public-domain works are released under the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) designation, which means you can download, remix, and reuse them for any purpose — including commercial — without permission or fees.
This guide walks through the two reliable ways to get the full-resolution file: the Met's own website, and the collection here on Musist.
Download from the Met's website
Start at the Met's collection search and turn on the Open Access filter so you only see works that are free to reuse. Then:
- Open any object page on metmuseum.org.
- Look for the download or share control on the image. Open Access objects expose a direct link to the full-size file.
- Save the largest size offered — for many paintings and prints this is several thousand pixels on the long edge.
If you don't see a download option, the work is probably still under copyright or the Met doesn't hold reproduction rights, so it sits outside Open Access. See How to Tell If an Artwork Is in the Public Domain for how to check.
Download through Musist
Musist pulls the Met's Open Access images into one browsable feed. On any object's detail page, a Download image button appears whenever the work is public domain and a full-resolution file is available — it links straight to the source file on the Met's servers.
Musist also renders Met images with IIIF deep-zoom where available, so you can inspect brushwork before you commit to a download — then try between related works across the collection.
A note on credit
CC0 does not legally require attribution, but crediting the museum and artist is good practice and helps others trace the source. A simple line like "Artwork courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (public domain)" is plenty — Do You Have to Credit a Museum for a Public-Domain Image? goes into when it's worth doing properly.
If the file you end up with is smaller than you expected, you probably have a display derivative rather than the archival scan — see Why Museum Images Look Low-Resolution.
Ready to browse? Filter the Musist home feed to The Met and start there.
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