Images
You may use these images for in-class presentations, but if your presentation or paper will be posted to the internet or published in some other way, then you must get the image creator's permission to use the image.
Always cite images as you would any other resource. See our guide for Citing your Sources or ask your librarian if you need help.
- Artstor on JSTOR This link opens in a new window
A digital library of more than one million images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and social sciences. Includes a suite of software tools to view, present, and manage images for research and teaching.
Artstor images are available on the JSTOR platform.
Transition from Artstor to JSTOR
The Artstor website will be retired on August 1, 2024, but you can get started with Artstor content on JSTOR now.
- Try the new experience on JSTORA guide to using Artstor on JSTOR. The page also includes a FAQ on why the transition is happening.
- Artstor Groups to JSTOR WorkspaceA guide for moving Artstor groups to JSTOR workspace.
Famous Art Museum Image Collections
Search collection catalogs or browse digital exhibits. Images from these collections usually require a use-license. Each of these links goes to the institutional collection.
- Art Institute Chicago
Explore thousands of artworks in the museum’s wide-ranging collection as well as books, writings, reference materials, and other resources. - Beazley Archive Pottery Database - Classical Art Research Center
The Beazley Archive Pottery Database is the world's largest database of ancient Greek painted pottery (‘Greek vases’). - British Museum
Explore the British Museum's collection spanning two million years of history, across six continents. - Chennai Museum
Browse galleries within the museum arranged by theme. Also known as the Government Museum or Madras Museum. - Explore more through Museums of the World
Explore museums and galleries across the world; thousands of museums and galleries from all over the world in one place. - Getty
The collection of the J. Paul Getty Museum comprises Greek, Roman, and Etruscan art from the Neolithic to Late Antiquity; European art from the Middle Ages to the early twentieth century; and international photography from its inception to the present day. - Guggenheim
A searchable database of selected artworks from the Guggenheim’s permanent collection. The selection contains over 1,700 artworks by more than 625 artists. - Harvard Art Museums
View over 200,000 works from the combined Harvard museum collections. - Hermitage
The State Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg contains one of worlds largest collections of paintings and a rich representation of other arts. - Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Committed to showcasing a multitude of art histories, LACMA exhibits and interprets works of art from new and unexpected points of view that are informed by the region’s rich cultural heritage and diverse population. - Louvre
Explore many Musée du Louvre and Musée National Eugène-Delacroix collections: paintings, sculptures, furniture, textiles, jewelry and finery, inscriptions, and objects. - Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Met collection represents more than 5000 years of art. - MoMA
the Metropolitan Museum of Art 's evolving collection contains almost 200,000 works of modern and contemporary art. Nearly half are currently available online. - Museo Nacional de Antropología
The National Museum of Anthropology Mexico provides images of objects from its Arqueología and Etnografía collections. - Museum of Fine Arts Boston
The MFA is one of the world's comprehensive art museums with a collection of nearly 500,000 works of art. - Museum of Fine Arts Houston
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, houses an encyclopedic collection of nearly 70,000 works of art created throughout the world, from antiquity to the present. - National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art has more than 150,000 paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, photographs, prints, and drawings. - National Museum of African American History and Culture
The NMAAHC is the only national museum devoted exclusively to the documentation of African American life, history, and culture. - National Museum of Asian Art Freer and Sackler Galleries Collection
More than 40,000 works from the galleries in Washington DC are available for high-resolution download for non-commercial purposes. The galleries feature Asian art. - National Museum of China
View highlights from cultural and archaeological artifacts. - Philadelphia Museum of Art
Discover works in the collection that have drawn visitors from around the world. - Rijksstudio
The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands. The collection tells the story of 800 years of Dutch history, from 1200 to present. - Smithsonian American Art Museum
The museum acquires, promotes and interprets the work of artists in the United States. - Tokyo Nation Museum
View approximately 600 outstanding works owned by the Tokyo National Museum in fields such as paintings, calligraphy, sculpture, decorative arts, and archaeology. - Uffizi Gallery
Galleria degli Uffizi contains one of the world's largest collections of art, many from the Italian Renaissance. - Vatican Museum
The Musei Vaticani collection is huge but not well represented digitally. Search in Italian in the English language interface. Enjoy 360 tours and selected masterpieces. - Victoria and Albert Museum
From ancient Chinese ceramics to Alexander McQueen evening dresses, take an incredible journey through 5000 years of human creativity with V&A online collections.
Other Collections
Images from these collections usually have a creative commons license. Read the fine print to find out what uses are permitted.
- Google Arts and Culture
Virtually explore museums from around the world, including great zoom features. Very fun! - Web Gallery of Art
The Web Gallery of Art is a searchable database of European fine arts and architecture (3rd-19th centuries). The gallery provides artist biographies, commentaries, guided tours, period music, catalogues, free postcards and mobile services. - Wikimedia Commons
Wikimedia Commons is a database of freely usable media files to which anyone can contribute.
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Explore and Cite Archival Sources
- Archives of American ArtThe Archives of American Art is the world’s preeminent and most widely used research center dedicated to collecting, preserving, and providing access to primary sources that document the history of the visual arts in America.
- Purdue University Libraries Citing Archival Sources GuideHow to cite archival sources from Purdue University Libraries