How to Find Open Access Artworks at The Met
Not everything on the Met's site is free to reuse. Here's how to filter for the Open Access works you can actually download and use.
Quick answers
- How do I find Open Access works at The Met?
- Apply the Open Access filter on the Met's collection search. Everything remaining is CC0 and free to download, modify, and use commercially. It is the single most reliable signal on the site.
- Is everything on the Met website free to use?
- No. The collection online includes both Open Access works and works still under copyright or whose reproduction rights the Met does not control. The distinction matters before building any project on an image.
- How can I tell if a specific Met object is Open Access?
- Look on the object page for the CC0 or public-domain indication near the image, together with a download control for the full-resolution file. If both are absent, treat the image as restricted.
- What does CC0 mean for Met images?
- CC0 is a waiver by which the Met gives up any copyright it might hold in the image, dedicating it to the public domain. It permits any use, commercial included, with no permission and no attribution requirement.
The Met's collection online includes both Open Access works (public domain, released as CC0) and works that are still under copyright or whose reproduction rights the museum doesn't control. Knowing the difference saves you from building a project on an image you can't legally use.
Use the Open Access filter
On the Met's collection search, apply the Open Access filter. Everything that remains is CC0: free to download, modify, and use commercially, no permission needed. This is the single most reliable signal on the site.
Read the object page
On an individual object page, look for the CC0 / public-domain indication near the image and the download control. If the work is Open Access, you'll be able to grab the full-resolution file directly. If those are absent, treat the image as restricted.
The shortcut in Musist
Musist surfaces this status for you. Every object detail page shows a rights badge, and a Download image action only appears for public-domain works with a full-resolution file — so you never have to guess. Filter the home feed to The Met to browse Met works specifically.
For the mechanics of downloading once you've found a usable work, see How to Download High-Resolution Images from The Met.
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