Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze… — Giovanni Battista Piranesi | Free high-res download

Q: What is the largest sharp print size for Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .)?

At 300 dpi, this 3,671 × 2,363 px file prints up to 12.2 × 7.9 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 24.5 × 15.8 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Q: Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .)?

The best frame sizes for this file are 10 × 8 in, 14 × 11 in, 16 × 12 in, 20 × 16 in, printing at 150–299 dpi (poster- to sharp-quality).

Q: Does printing Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .) require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 20% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .)

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,671 × 2,363 px · 8.7 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to12.2 × 7.9 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 24.5 × 15.8 in at 150 dpi

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

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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
10 × 8 in	295	Sharp up close	20%
14 × 11 in	214	Sharp up close	18%
16 × 12 in	196	Poster sharp	14%
20 × 16 in	147	Fine across a room	20%
24 × 18 in	131	Fine across a room	14%
36 × 24 in	98	Too soft	3%
40 × 30 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

Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .) is a print by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (Italian, Mogliano Veneto 1720–1778 Rome), dated 1769 (?). Etching. The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, 1973.

In The Met's records, Bird in shell at the center of the lintel, with a frieze of trophies, surmounted by an overmantel with candelabra and flanked by chairs. (Ch. décorée d'une frise de casques et d'armures . . .) is an etching credited to Giovanni Battista Piranesi. The museum dates it 1769 (?), and files it under accession 1973.509.3 in Drawings and Prints. Animals give it an immediate focal point, which suits a hallway or a reading corner where people pass close by. The Met's scan measures 3,671 × 2,363 pixels, which prints about 12.2 × 7.9 in at 300 dpi and 24.5 × 15.8 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Because it runs wide, it wants a horizontal frame; check the crop percentage for each size before you commit. Its muted earth tones are forgiving: natural wood softens the palette, walnut deepens it and black frames it like a gallery. Line work lives on contrast. Print it on smooth bright paper and give it a wider frame or mat so the fine marks are not swallowed. 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 3,671 × 2,363 pixels — 8.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 12.2 × 7.9 in. Line work lives or dies on contrast. Print it on a smooth, bright paper and give it a wide mat: small graphic work drowns in a thin frame and a big empty border makes it look like it came out of a print room drawer.