Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Atte… — Caravaggio | Free high-res download

Q: What is the largest sharp print size for Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso)?

At 300 dpi, this 3,842 × 2,634 px file prints up to 12.8 × 8.8 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 25.6 × 17.6 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Q: Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso)?

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.

Q: Does printing Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso) require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 14% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso)

Polidoro da Caravaggio · 1530–35 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,842 × 2,634 px · 10.1 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to12.8 × 8.8 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 25.6 × 17.6 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	329	Gallery sharp	14%
14 × 11 in	239	Sharp up close	13%
16 × 12 in	219	Sharp up close	9%
20 × 16 in	164	Poster sharp	14%
24 × 18 in	146	Fine across a room	9%
36 × 24 in	106	Fine across a room	3%
40 × 30 in	87	Too soft	9%

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

Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso) is a work on paper by Polidoro da Caravaggio (Italian, Caravaggio ca. 1499–ca. 1543 Messina), dated 1530–35. Pen and brown ink, some brush and brown wash. Size on the museum record: 7-15/16 x 11-3/4 in. (20.2 x 29.8 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Bequest of Walter C. Baker, 1971.

In The Met's records, Studies for an Altarpiece with the Virgin Enthroned, Attended by Four Saints (recto); Various Figure Studies, Some Possibly for a Deposition of Christ (verso) is a pen and brown ink, some brush and brown wash credited to Polidoro da Caravaggio. The museum dates it 1530–35, and files it under accession 1972.118.270 in Drawings and Prints. The subject is a person, so the face is the anchor. Hang it with the eyes near the centre line instead of floating high on the wall. The Met's scan measures 3,842 × 2,634 pixels, which prints about 12.8 × 8.8 in at 300 dpi and 25.6 × 17.6 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. 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 3,842 × 2,634 pixels — 10.1 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 12.8 × 8.8 in. That is roughly life-size: the work on paper itself measures about 11.7 × 8 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.