What is the largest sharp print size for Perseus and the Origin of Coral?

At 300 dpi, this 3,901 × 3,066 px file prints up to 13 × 10.2 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 26 × 20.4 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Perseus and the Origin of Coral?

Gallery-sharp (300 dpi or above) frame sizes: 10 × 8 in. Sharp-to-poster-quality sizes also work: 14 × 11 in, 16 × 12 in, 20 × 16 in, 24 × 18 in.

Does printing Perseus and the Origin of Coral require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 15% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Perseus and the Origin of Coral — Claude Lorrain | Free high-res download

Perseus and the Origin of Coral

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,901 × 3,066 px · 12 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to13 × 10.2 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 26 × 20.4 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
10 × 8 in	383	Gallery sharp	2%
14 × 11 in	278	Sharp up close	nothing
16 × 12 in	243	Sharp up close	5%
20 × 16 in	191	Poster sharp	2%
24 × 18 in	162	Poster sharp	5%
36 × 24 in	108	Fine across a room	15%
40 × 30 in	97	Too soft	5%

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

Perseus and the Origin of Coral is a work on paper by Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée) (French, Chamagne 1604/5?–1682 Rome), dated ca. 1671. Black chalk, sepia and black ink, sepia and gray wash heightened with white. Size on the museum record: 10 x 12 13/16 in. (25.4 x 32.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Robert Lehman Collection collection — Robert Lehman Collection, 1975.

In The Met's records, Perseus and the Origin of Coral is a black chalk, sepia and black ink, sepia and gray wash heightened with white credited to Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée). The museum dates it ca. 1671; it sits in the Robert Lehman Collection department as accession 1975.1.661. 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 3,901 × 3,066 pixels, which prints about 13.0 × 10.2 in at 300 dpi and 26.0 × 20.4 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Its wide proportions sit naturally over a sofa, console or bed, and the crop figures in the set builder show what a standard frame would trim. Its warm reds and oranges suit walnut or gold, which deepen the glow instead of washing it out. 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. Light it from above with a soft warm bulb, hang the centre of the picture near 57 inches, and it will read as intended instead of as decoration.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 3,901 × 3,066 pixels — 12 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 13 × 10.2 in. That is roughly life-size: the work on paper itself measures about 12.8 × 10 in.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.

On the receipt

Artist: Claude Lorrain (Claude Gellée)
Date: ca. 1671
Medium: Black chalk, sepia and black ink, sepia and gray wash heightened with white
Size: 10 x 12 13/16 in. (25.4 x 32.5 cm)
Museum: The Met · Robert Lehman Collection
Accession: 1975.1.661
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗