Sheesh, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been asked about how readers can download some high-res artworks.

Hang on – it’s zero. Zero times.

We like to get out ahead of the game, though, so we’ll pre-empt the requests and let you know about 14 French museums that have placed in excess of 100 000 pieces of art on an online portal.

That includes the artwork above (which is cropped), Rembrandt Van Rijn’s “Rembrandt with a Flaming Saber, 1634”.

The best part is that downloading the artworks is completely free, and legal, reports MyModernMet:

…if you are a lover of Rembrandt, Cézanne, or Monet, get ready to start searching. These great painters are among the artists whose work is available through the portal. Aside from being able to download a high-resolution, 300-DPI digitization of an artwork, the online collection includes basic information about the piece, as well as instructions on how the public domain license works.

…you can browse by artist, date, material, and location, as well as by color. By registering, you’ll also be able to annotate your searches, as well as start your own collection of favorites. If you aren’t sure where to begin, Paris Musées has pulled together several thematic collections. Topics include Victor Hugo’s caricatures, Women’s Fashion and Sport, Artists’ Studios, and Paris During the Revolution.

Stunning.

Let’s put your art knowledge to the test. Who is this?

That’s Gustave Courbet (1819-1877), with “Jules Vallès (1832-1885), writer”, Oil on canvas, from the Paris, Musée Carnavalet.

I cut and pasted that, so don’t feel too bad.

One more:

Woah, isn’t that Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) with “Ambroise Vollard”, 1899? Yup, housed in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de la Ville de Paris, Petit Palais, of course.

If you want to search through the online collection and get downloading (maybe some prints would look good on the wall to impress dinner guests?), head here.

You’re so cultured.

[source:mymodernmet]