What is the largest sharp print size for The Musicians?

At 300 dpi, this 4,000 × 3,105 px file prints up to 13.3 × 10.4 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 26.7 × 20.7 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

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

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, 24 × 18 in.

Does printing The Musicians 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.

The Musicians — Caravaggio | Free high-res download

The Musicians

Public domain · CC0 · $0.004,000 × 3,105 px · 12.4 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to13.3 × 10.4 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 26.7 × 20.7 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.

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
10 × 8 in	388	Gallery sharp	3%
14 × 11 in	282	Sharp up close	1%
16 × 12 in	250	Sharp up close	3%
20 × 16 in	194	Poster sharp	3%
24 × 18 in	166	Poster sharp	3%
36 × 24 in	111	Fine across a room	14%
40 × 30 in	100	Fine across a room	3%

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 Musicians is a painting by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi) (Italian, Milan or Caravaggio 1571–1610 Porto Ercole), dated 1597. Oil on canvas. Size on the museum record: 36 1/4 x 46 5/8 in. (92.1 x 118.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its European Paintings collection — Rogers Fund, 1952.

The Musicians is an oil on canvas by Caravaggio (Michelangelo Merisi), part of The Met's open-access collection. The museum dates it 1597 (accession 52.81, European Paintings). People are the subject, and the grouping and gestures matter more than any single face; avoid cropping the edges. The Met's scan measures 4,000 × 3,105 pixels, which prints about 13.3 × 10.3 in at 300 dpi and 26.7 × 20.7 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 warm reds and oranges suit walnut or gold, which deepen the glow instead of washing it out. Paintings reproduce best on matte paper, since gloss throws glare across exactly the brushwork you came for. 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 4,000 × 3,105 pixels — 12.4 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 13.3 × 10.4 in. The painting itself measures about 46.6 × 36.3 in, so a true life-size print runs below 300 dpi — still sharp at normal viewing distance.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.