Getty’s Open Content Program

Collection consists of the 13-16th century manuscripts, illuminated by ancient masters from across Europe of the Middle Ages – Belgium, Italy, Germany, France, Netherlands, Spain, Austria, Bohemia and faraway Persia.

Majority of the works represent scenes from the Old and New Testament, as well as meticulously drawn botanical patterns.

Collection includes selection of illuminated letters, used to begin the first sentence, calendar pages, drawings of plants, saints and mythical beasts. Also, some fine examples of ancient calligraphy can be found.

Most of the works are produced on parchment with rich selection of tempera colours, gold leaf and ink. Authors include Albrecht Dürer, Aegidius Sadeler, Diebold Lauber, Willem Vrelant and Cristoforo Cortese among others.

Manuscripts (6,704 images)
Drawings (969 images)
Paintings (723 images)
Map (192 images)
Texts (58 images)
Prints (36 images)

1. Visit http://search.getty.edu/gateway/landing.
2. See below ‘Highlights of Getty Resources’ and click on ‘Open Content Images’.
3. Select ‘Only records with images’.

Now you can see all collection items.
Direct link
148,275 images on 28/09/2019
240,012 images on 16/08/2020

If you wish us to curate this collection for creators, make it searchable by keywords and easy to use, please consider supporting our platform.

If you wish us to curate this collection for creators, make it searchable by keywords and easy to use, please consider supporting our platform.

Not all digital scans in this collection are under an open licence. Open licence is applied only to those digital scans where the original work is believed to be in the public domain in the U.S. Where digital scan is under an open licence, it is available to be downloaded in high resolution.

How to find them?

Use a filter:

Go to the main page with all collection items (see section ‘How to find images?’)
2. Make sure Open Content Images is selected on the left side menu

150,464 images on 16/08/2020

OR

Check images individually:

1. Go to the image page
2. See if you can find ‘This image is available for download, without charge, under the Getty’s Open Content Program’. 

More information by the provider:
Open content

Not all original works in this collection, which are under an open licence and available to download in high resolution, are in the public domain in the European countries. 

This is because Getty’s Open Content Program is in the U.S. and guided by the copyright law of the U.S. It applies open licence to digital scans where original works are believed to be in the public domain in the U.S. 

How to find images which you can reuse in most of the European countries? 

There is no filter to find images by date of creation/publishing. 

You need to check each image individually:

1. Go to the image page
2. Identify all the authors and contributors
3. Find the death date of the last living author (dates are available)
If the last living author has passed away more than 70 years ago, most likely, his/her works are in the public domain in most of the European countries. 

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However, if you intend to use images for commercial purposes, you might want to do additional checks and a risk assessment. See more copyright guidance here.  

Please note, it is always your personal responsibility to make sure the original work is out of copyright in all countries where you distribute your new creative works. The supplier of the digital scan cannot guarantee this.

On the left menu there are options:

• types
• topics
• names
• places

You can sort images by relevance or title. Also you can select multiple images to view, print and export their metadata.

–

Go to the image page. Below you can find magnifying glass which will open up an image in a new viewer where you can zoom it in/out (or open it in another viewer).

Go to the image page. See below object details: 

• title
• artist
• culture (country)
• place
• date
• medium

Below you will also find related works, exhibitions, bibliography and educational resources.

1. Go to the image page.
2. Click on ‘Download’ button. You will have 3 options:

• presentation /study size (1024 px longest side)
• print resolution size (3000 px longest side)
• highest resolution size

3. You will be asked to provide more information about how you will be using an image.

Artist name, Title, Date. Getty’s Open Content Program. Open licence (e.g. CC0 ) + a link

Share your new creative works using hashtag #RevivoStories#TheGetty #GettyMuseum @GettyMuseum!

Attribution guidelines are based on goodwill. They are not legally binding, but they are a secret way how to:
– Say ‘thank you’ to the most friendly for creators museums, archives and libraries.
– Encourage the release of new open collections for creativity.
– Inform and equip your fellow creators with new powers.