What is the largest sharp print size for The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins?

At 300 dpi, this 3,198 × 3,475 px file prints up to 10.7 × 11.6 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 21.3 × 23.2 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins?

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.

Does printing The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 28% 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 Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins — William Blake | Free high-res download

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins

William Blake · ca. 1799–1800 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.003,198 × 3,475 px · 11.1 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to10.7 × 11.6 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 21.3 × 23.2 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	347	Gallery sharp	13%
11 × 14 in	248	Sharp up close	15%
12 × 16 in	217	Sharp up close	19%
16 × 20 in	173	Poster sharp	13%
18 × 24 in	144	Fine across a room	19%
24 × 36 in	96	Too soft	28%
30 × 40 in	86	Too soft	19%

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 Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins is a work on paper by William Blake (British, London 1757–1827 London), dated ca. 1799–1800. Watercolor, pen and black ink, brush and wash, over graphite. Size on the museum record: Sheet: 14 3/16 × 13 1/16 in. (36 × 33.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Rogers Fund, 1914.

The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins is a watercolor, pen and black ink, brush and wash, over graphite by William Blake, part of The Met's open-access collection. The museum dates it ca. 1799–1800, and files it under accession 14.81.2 in 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 3,198 × 3,475 pixels, which prints about 10.7 × 11.6 in at 300 dpi and 21.3 × 23.2 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Its near-square shape is unusual for stock frames, so look at the square sizes first and accept a little crop or margin elsewhere. It is close to monochrome, so the frame sets the mood: black for contrast, white for air, or a thin natural wood for warmth. 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 3,198 × 3,475 pixels — 11.1 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 10.7 × 11.6 in. The work on paper itself measures about 13.1 × 14.2 in, so a true life-size print runs below 300 dpi — still sharp at normal viewing distance.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.