What is the largest sharp print size for The Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts?

At 300 dpi, this 2,945 × 4,000 px file prints up to 9.8 × 13.3 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 19.6 × 26.7 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of The Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts?

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 Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 9% 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 Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts — William Blake | Free high-res download

The Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts

William Blake · 1797 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.002,945 × 4,000 px · 11.8 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to9.8 × 13.3 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 19.6 × 26.7 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.

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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
8 × 10 in	368	Gallery sharp	8%
11 × 14 in	267	Sharp up close	6%
12 × 16 in	245	Sharp up close	2%
16 × 20 in	184	Poster sharp	8%
18 × 24 in	163	Poster sharp	2%
24 × 36 in	111	Fine across a room	9%
30 × 40 in	98	Too soft	2%

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 Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts is a print by William Blake (British, London 1757–1827 London), dated 1797. Illustrations: etching and engraving. Size on the museum record: 16 7/8 × 13 1/4 × 13/16 in. (42.8 × 33.7 × 2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Gift of Estate of Maurice Everett Hall Jr., also known as Michael Hall, 2021.

The Met catalogs The Complaint and the Consolation; or, Night Thoughts as an illustrations: etching and engraving by William Blake. The museum dates it 1797; it sits in the Drawings and Prints department as accession 2021.164.2. The darker passages do the work, so a picture light helps the lit areas glow instead of sinking into the wall. The Met's scan measures 2,945 × 4,000 pixels, which prints about 9.8 × 13.3 in at 300 dpi and 19.6 × 26.7 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Its tall proportions suit a hallway, a narrow wall or the gap beside a door, and the set builder shows how much each standard frame would crop. 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 2,945 × 4,000 pixels — 11.8 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 9.8 × 13.3 in. That is bigger than the print itself, which measures about 0.8 × 13.3 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.