What is the largest sharp print size for Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery?

At 300 dpi, this 2,388 × 1,952 px file prints up to 8 × 6.5 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 15.9 × 13 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery?

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).

Does printing Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 18% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery — Albert Bierstadt | Free high-res download

Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery

Albert Bierstadt · 1890 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.002,388 × 1,952 px · 4.7 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to8 × 6.5 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 15.9 × 13 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

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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	238	Sharp up close	2%
14 × 11 in	170	Poster sharp	4%
16 × 12 in	149	Fine across a room	8%
20 × 16 in	119	Fine across a room	2%
24 × 18 in	99	Too soft	8%
36 × 24 in	66	Too soft	18%
40 × 30 in	59	Too soft	8%

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

Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery is a work on paper by Albert Bierstadt (American, Solingen 1830–1902 New York), dated 1890. Drawings in graphite on off-white wove paper, bound in a leather cover. Size on the museum record: Cover: 4 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 7/16 in. (12.1 x 19.1 x 1.1 cm) Sheets: 4 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (11.7 x 19.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its The American Wing collection — Bequest of Marguerite H. Rohlfs, 1995.

The Met catalogs Sketchbook of Northwest American and Canadian Scenery as a drawings in graphite on off-white wove paper, bound in a leather cover by Albert Bierstadt. The museum dates it 1890, and files it under accession 1995.379.4 in The American Wing. 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 2,388 × 1,952 pixels, which prints about 8.0 × 6.5 in at 300 dpi and 15.9 × 13.0 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. 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. A warm picture light a few inches above the frame does more for a print than any paper upgrade, and the hanging centre line belongs near 57 inches.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 2,388 × 1,952 pixels — 4.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 8 × 6.5 in. That is bigger than the work on paper itself, which measures about 0.4 × 7.5 in — the file holds more detail than you can see standing in front of the original.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: Albert Bierstadt
Date: 1890
Medium: Drawings in graphite on off-white wove paper, bound in a leather cover
Size: Cover: 4 3/4 x 7 1/2 x 7/16 in. (12.1 x 19.1 x 1.1 cm) Sheets: 4 5/8 x 7 1/2 in. (11.7 x 19.1 cm)
Museum: The Met · The American Wing
Accession: 1995.379.4
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗