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 | 324 | Gallery sharp | 9% |
| 11 × 14 in | 236 | Sharp up close | 7% |
| 12 × 16 in | 216 | Sharp up close | 3% |
| 16 × 20 in | 162 | Poster sharp | 9% |
| 18 × 24 in | 144 | Fine across a room | 3% |
| 24 × 36 in | 99 | Too soft | 8% |
| 30 × 40 in | 86 | Too soft | 3% |
The ticket
The Churner is a print by William Merritt Chase (American, Williamsburg, Indiana 1849–1916 New York), dated ca. 1886. Etching. Size on the museum record: sheet: 9 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (23.9 x 16.8 cm) plate: 7 5/8 x 5 3/8 in. (19.4 x 13.6 cm) image: 7 1/16 x 4 1/2 in. (17.9 x 11.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — A. Hyatt Mayor Purchase Fund, Marjorie Phelps Starr Bequest, 1982.
The Met catalogs The Churner as an etching by William Merritt Chase. The museum dates it ca. 1886 (accession 1982.1087.4, Drawings and Prints). 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 2,596 × 3,566 pixels, which prints about 8.7 × 11.9 in at 300 dpi and 17.3 × 23.8 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Because it runs tall, it wants a vertical frame; compare the crop percentage across sizes before you choose. Its muted earth tones are forgiving: natural wood softens the palette, walnut deepens it and black frames it like a gallery. Line work lives on contrast. Print it on smooth bright paper and give it a wider frame or mat so the fine marks are not swallowed. 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 2,596 × 3,566 pixels — 9.3 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 8.7 × 11.9 in. That is bigger than the print itself, which measures about 6.6 × 9.4 in — the file holds more detail than you can see standing in front of the original.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.
On the receipt
- Artist
- William Merritt Chase
- Date
- ca. 1886
- Medium
- Etching
- Size
- sheet: 9 7/16 x 6 5/8 in. (23.9 x 16.8 cm) plate: 7 5/8 x 5 3/8 in. (19.4 x 13.6 cm) image: 7 1/16 x 4 1/2 in. (17.9 x 11.5 cm)
- Museum
- The Met · Drawings and Prints
- Accession
- 1982.1087.4
- License
- Public domain · CC0 1.0
- Source
- Museum record ↗
