What is the largest sharp print size for The Destruction of Leviathan?

At 300 dpi, this 2,310 × 2,897 px file prints up to 7.7 × 9.7 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 15.4 × 19.3 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of The Destruction of Leviathan?

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

Does printing The Destruction of Leviathan require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 16% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

The Destruction of Leviathan — Gustave Doré | Free high-res download

The Destruction of Leviathan

Gustave Doré · 1865 · From La Sainte Bible

Public domain · $0.002,310 × 2,897 px · 6.7 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to7.7 × 9.7 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 15.4 × 19.3 in at 150 dpi

The download is the original scan on Wikimedia Commons. 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.

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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
8 × 10 in	288	Sharp up close	nothing
11 × 14 in	206	Sharp up close	1%
12 × 16 in	181	Poster sharp	6%
16 × 20 in	144	Fine across a room	nothing
18 × 24 in	120	Fine across a room	6%
24 × 36 in	80	Too soft	16%
30 × 40 in	72	Too soft	6%

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

The Destruction of Leviathan is a print by Gustave Doré (French, Strasbourg 1832–1883 Paris), dated 1865. Wood engraving. Held by From La Sainte Bible; the free scan comes from Wikimedia Commons.

Gustave Doré's illustrations for La Sainte Bible were enormous sellers in the 1860s, and this plate, with a monstrous sea serpent whipping the waves, is the best of the monsters. It is a wood engraving, so the whole image is built from fine lines. Doré is the reason many people think of the Bible as a horror story. Black and white, tall and thin, and best in a black frame with a wide mat.

The work is in the public domain, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 2,310 × 2,897 pixels — 6.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 7.7 × 9.7 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.