What is the largest sharp print size for The Bookworm?

At 300 dpi, this 3,118 × 5,680 px file prints up to 10.4 × 18.9 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 20.8 × 37.9 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

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

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

Does printing The Bookworm require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 31% 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 Bookworm — Carl Spitzweg | Free high-res download

The Bookworm

Carl Spitzweg · ca. 1850 · Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee

Public domain · $0.003,118 × 5,680 px · 17.7 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to10.4 × 18.9 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 20.8 × 37.9 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.

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
8 × 10 in	389	Gallery sharp	31%
11 × 14 in	283	Sharp up close	30%
12 × 16 in	259	Sharp up close	27%
16 × 20 in	194	Poster sharp	31%
18 × 24 in	173	Poster sharp	27%
24 × 36 in	129	Fine across a room	18%
30 × 40 in	103	Fine across a room	27%

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 Bookworm is a painting by Carl Spitzweg (German, Munich 1808–1885 Munich), dated ca. 1850. Oil on canvas. Held by Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee; the free scan comes from Wikimedia Commons.

An elderly man in a long coat stands on a library ladder with a book in each hand, one clamped under his arm, and a third under his chin. He has plainly forgotten what he came for and is lost in the text. Spitzweg painted several versions of this gentle joke, which is one of the most loved paintings in Germany. It is the right choice for an office, a study, or a friend who cannot stop reading.

The work is in the public domain, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 3,118 × 5,680 pixels — 17.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 10.4 × 18.9 in. Paintings reproduce best on matte paper. Gloss throws glare across exactly the brushwork you came for, and a picture light does more for a print than any upgrade in paper.

On the receipt

Artist: Carl Spitzweg
Date: ca. 1850
Medium: Oil on canvas
Held by: Grohmann Museum, Milwaukee
License: Public domain · Public Domain Mark
Source: Commons file page ↗