What is the largest sharp print size for A Theater Audience?

At 300 dpi, this 2,743 × 3,156 px file prints up to 9.1 × 10.5 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 18.3 × 21 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of A Theater Audience?

Gallery-sharp (300 dpi or above) frame sizes: 8 × 10 in. Sharp-to-poster-quality sizes also work: 11 × 14 in, 12 × 16 in, 16 × 20 in.

Does printing A Theater Audience require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 23% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

A Theater Audience — Honoré Daumier | Free high-res download

A Theater Audience

Honoré Daumier · 19th century · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.002,743 × 3,156 px · 8.7 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to9.1 × 10.5 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 18.3 × 21 in at 150 dpi

The download is the Met's own open-access file, served by the Met. Big file — give it a minute.

Build the wall set

Art, frame, light and hanging gear, picked together. Choose a size and finish; the wall preview shows exactly what you're getting. One button sends the whole kit to your Amazon cart.

Amazon sells the physical items, sets their prices and availability, and may pay us a commission. The free museum file is separate. How we get paid →

How big can you print it?

Standard frame sizes, turned to match the artwork. "Crops" is how much of the picture you lose filling that frame edge to edge — or keep it all and let a mat take up the difference.

Frame	Effective dpi	Verdict	Crops
8 × 10 in	315	Gallery sharp	8%
11 × 14 in	225	Sharp up close	10%
12 × 16 in	197	Poster sharp	14%
16 × 20 in	157	Poster sharp	8%
18 × 24 in	131	Fine across a room	14%
24 × 36 in	87	Too soft	23%
30 × 40 in	78	Too soft	14%

Will it fit over your couch? Put this one on your wall, to scale — crop or mat, frame size, hang height and the order.

The ticket

A Theater Audience is a work on paper by Honoré Daumier (French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois), dated 19th century. Pen and black ink, gouache, and watercolor over black chalk. Size on the museum record: Sheet: 13 9/16 x 11 11/16 in. (34.4 x 29.7cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971.

The Met catalogs A Theater Audience as a pen and black ink, gouache, and watercolor over black chalk by Honoré Daumier. The museum dates it 19th century, and files it under accession 1972.118.203 in Drawings and Prints. Spend a minute with the composition before choosing a size: notice where the eye lands first and where it rests. The Met's scan measures 2,743 × 3,156 pixels, which prints about 9.1 × 10.5 in at 300 dpi and 18.3 × 21.0 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Because it runs tall, it wants a vertical frame; compare the crop percentage across sizes before you choose. It is close to monochrome, so the frame sets the mood: black for contrast, white for air, or a thin natural wood for warmth. Works on paper are quiet. Print near the original's scale instead of blowing it up, and keep it out of direct sun like the museum does. Add a small picture light and keep the centre of the piece around 57 inches from the floor; those two choices make a reproduction look deliberate.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 2,743 × 3,156 pixels — 8.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 9.1 × 10.5 in. The work on paper itself measures about 11.7 × 13.5 in, so a true life-size print runs below 300 dpi — still sharp at normal viewing distance.Works on paper are quiet. Print near the original’s size rather than blowing it up, mat it generously, and keep it out of direct sun — the same rules the museum follows for the real one.