Public Domain Paintings: What You Can Use and When

Public domain paintings, such as Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring from around 1665, are works of art that are no longer protected by copyright. You can copy, share, and adapt them without asking an artist's estate or a museum for permission. This applies to many old master paintings and to works by painters who died long enough ago that their rights have lapsed. The rules are not the same everywhere, but the basic idea is simple: after a set number of years following the artist's death, the painting enters the public domain.

In many countries, including those in the European Union, that period is 70 years. A painting by Johannes Vermeer, who died in 1675, has been in the public domain for centuries. On this site you will see paintings from the 1400s through the early 1900s, each listed with its date, medium, size, and the museum that holds it.

This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Copyright law differs by country, and the status of a specific photograph or scan can differ from the status of the painting itself. If you need certainty for a commercial project, consult a lawyer who knows the law in your jurisdiction. For ordinary use, the principles here cover most old paintings. For example, a museum's photograph of the Mona Lisa can come with its own terms even though Leonardo died in 1519.

When a painting is in the public domain

The general rule for old paintings is that copyright lasts for a set number of years after the artist dies. In many countries, including the member states of the European Union, that term is 70 years. So a painting by Claude Monet, who died in 1926, is in the public domain in those countries.

In the United States, a different rule applies to published works. As of January 1, 2026, works published in 1930 or earlier are in the public domain in the United States. That cutoff year moves forward each January first, because works published 95 years earlier enter the public domain. So works published in 1931 enter the public domain in 2027. This rule covers many paintings from the early 20th century, but not all. Unpublished works follow separate rules.

Rules vary by country, and some countries use different terms. Mexico, for example, has a life plus 100 years term. In the United Kingdom, an unpublished painting may have different protection. Because these differences exist, the safest practice is to check the law in the country where you plan to use the image. For instance, a painting that is public domain in France may still be under copyright in Mexico if the artist died fewer than 100 years ago. This page follows the common 70-year rule unless a country is specified.

Photographs of paintings

A photograph of a flat painting, such as a portrait by Rembrandt, is not always an independent creative work. In some countries, a faithful reproduction of a two-dimensional public-domain painting receives no new copyright. In other countries, the photograph can have its own protection. This difference matters when you download an image from a museum or a photo library.

Many large museums now release their photographs of public-domain paintings under open access terms. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York places images of public-domain works under Creative Commons Zero (CC0). The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam offers high-resolution images of works such as Rembrandt's The Night Watch under the same CC0 licence. The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. provides open access downloads for the paintings in its collection. These programs let you use the image for any purpose, including commercial use, without asking permission.

Some countries treat photographs differently. In Italy, for example, photographs of state-owned cultural heritage often require authorisation for commercial use even when the painting itself is old. In the United Kingdom, there is a history of museums claiming copyright in photographs of public-domain paintings, though this is debated. Always check the licence statement that comes with the specific image file. The painting may be public domain, but the photograph may not be. On this site, the credit under each image tells you where it came from.

Using public domain images

Once you have an image, check the licence that comes with it. A museum may ask for a credit line even when the underlying painting is public domain. That credit is not a copyright requirement, but some museums ask for it as a condition of using their photograph. Look for a download page or a rights statement next to the image.

A standard credit line includes the artist's full name, the title of the painting, the date, and the museum that owns it. For example: 'Johannes Vermeer, Girl with a Pearl Earring, c. 1665, Mauritshuis, The Hague.' You can add the source of the photograph, such as 'The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access,' if the museum provides that text. Do not invent a credit line; use the one supplied by the source.

Trademarks and logos are separate from copyright. A public domain painting does not give you permission to use a museum's logo or name in a way that suggests the museum endorses your project. If you want to use a museum logo, ask for permission. The same applies to commercial use of titles that have become brands, but most old painting titles are simply descriptions. If the image comes from Wikimedia Commons, read the licensing section on the file page; it often tells you whether the photograph itself is public domain or under a Creative Commons licence.

How this catalogue uses them

This site keeps its scope narrow. It shows only paintings by artists who died before 1956 and works made before 1931. These cutoffs follow the life-plus-70 rule and the US publication cutoff, which helps keep the catalogue focused on images that are safe to use. For each painting, you see the date, medium, size, and the museum that holds the work.

The images come from museum open access programs or from Wikimedia Commons. When a museum such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Rijksmuseum provides an open access image, the site uses that file and keeps the credit the museum requests. When no museum open access image is available, the site uses a photograph from Wikimedia Commons if the file is marked as public domain or under a licence that allows reuse.

A credit line sits under every image. It names the artist, the title, the date, and the museum that holds the painting. For example, a painting by Claude Monet from 1899 appears with its oil on canvas dimensions and the museum that owns it. The credit may also state where the photograph came from, such as 'The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Open Access' or 'Wikimedia Commons.' Although the images are free to reuse, the credit lines respect the sources and help visitors trace the original.