The largest open access museum and library collections on Artnap
These are the fifteen museums and libraries with the most public domain works on Artnap, counted on 31 October 2026. That count is the only measure behind the order. Together they supply 283,349 works. That is about six in ten of the 466,483 works on the site.
Artnap draws on 72 museums and libraries in all. Most of the fifteen below release their images under CC0, which places no conditions on reuse. Most entries link to the institution's own open access page, and every entry links to its page on Artnap.
1. Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam
The Dutch national museum has 134,086 works on Artnap and is the largest source by a wide margin. Only 6,293 of these are paintings. Its data policy says that for material marked public domain or CC0 "the Rijksmuseum has waived its rights". Source: Rijksmuseum data policy.
Open access page: data.rijksmuseum.nlOn Artnap: Rijksmuseum
2. The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York
Artnap holds 33,828 works from the Met. The Met's open access pages offer public domain images in JPEG format under CC0. On Artnap its works carry a CC0 license line, and 5,504 of them are paintings.
Open access page: metmuseum.github.ioOn Artnap: The Metropolitan Museum of Art
3. National Gallery of Art in Washington
Artnap holds 25,727 works from the National Gallery. Of these 3,932 are paintings. Each one carries a CC0 license line on Artnap.
On Artnap: National Gallery of Art
4. Art Institute of Chicago
Artnap holds 24,190 works from Chicago. Chicago offers images of works "believed to be in the public domain or to which the museum otherwise waives any copyright it might have". Source: Art Institute of Chicago. The museum itself counts more than 50,000 such images.
Open access page: artic.eduOn Artnap: Art Institute of Chicago
5. Wien Museum in Vienna
Artnap holds 15,459 works from the city museum of Vienna. The museum marks open content with its own symbol in the online collection. Its works on Artnap carry CC0, and only 99 of them are paintings.
Open access page: sammlung.wienmuseum.atOn Artnap: Wien Museum
6. Cooper Hewitt in New York
The Smithsonian Design Museum has 7,264 works on Artnap. On Artnap its works carry a CC0 license line. Only 22 of its works on Artnap are paintings.
On Artnap: Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
7. Polona in Warsaw
Polona is the digital library of the National Library of Poland. Artnap holds 6,347 works from it. Its English help pages describe these works as public domain, open to commercial use without permission. The library asks users to name the author and the title.
Open access page: bn.org.plOn Artnap: Polona (Biblioteka Narodowa)
8. Cleveland Museum of Art
Artnap holds 6,334 works from Cleveland. Cleveland became an open access museum in January 2019. Its policy describes open access content as published "without copyright and licensing restrictions". Source: Cleveland Museum of Art.
Open access page: clevelandart.orgOn Artnap: Cleveland Museum of Art
9. Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington
Artnap holds 5,470 works from this museum. More than half of its works on Artnap are paintings, and they carry a CC0 license line.
On Artnap: Smithsonian American Art Museum
10. Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
Artnap holds 4,598 works from the Karlsruhe museum. The Karlsruhe museum has released its public domain images under CC0 since the summer of 2019. It welcomes a credit but does not require one.
Open access page: kunsthalle-karlsruhe.deOn Artnap: Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe
11. Finnish National Gallery in Helsinki
Artnap holds 4,558 works from the Finnish National Gallery. The gallery says it "has released over 36,000 images into the public domain under the CC0-license". Source: Finnish National Gallery. Artnap holds 2,759 of its paintings.
Open access page: kansallisgalleria.fiOn Artnap: Finnish National Gallery
12. Städel Museum in Frankfurt
Artnap holds 4,433 works from the Städel. Germany's oldest museum foundation marks its public domain images with the Public Domain Mark. It asks for the credit line Städel Museum, Frankfurt am Main. Artnap holds 575 of its paintings.
Open access page: sammlung.staedelmuseum.deOn Artnap: Städel Museum
13. Petit Palais in Paris
Artnap holds 4,387 works from the Petit Palais, one of the city museums of Paris Musées. Paris Musées released its public domain images under CC0 in January 2020. It says each file is 3000 pixels at 300 dpi. Artnap holds 1,893 paintings from the Petit Palais.
Open access page: parismusees.paris.frOn Artnap: Petit Palais, Paris
14. National Portrait Gallery in Washington
Artnap holds 3,420 works from the Smithsonian portrait gallery. Its works on Artnap carry a CC0 license line, and 958 of its works on Artnap are paintings.
On Artnap: National Portrait Gallery (Smithsonian)
15. Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Artnap holds 3,248 works from LACMA. The museum says it provides these images "for use without restriction". Source: LACMA terms of use.
Open access page: lacma.orgOn Artnap: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
How to check a work yourself
Every artwork page on Artnap has a license line that says how the museum lists the work. The same page links to the museum's own record, where you can see the source image and its terms. If the two disagree, follow the museum.