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 | 232 | Sharp up close | 35% |
| 14 × 11 in | 168 | Poster sharp | 34% |
| 16 × 12 in | 154 | Poster sharp | 31% |
| 20 × 16 in | 116 | Fine across a room | 35% |
| 24 × 18 in | 103 | Fine across a room | 31% |
| 36 × 24 in | 77 | Too soft | 22% |
| 40 × 30 in | 61 | Too soft | 31% |
The ticket
Three Male Heads is a work on paper by Honoré Daumier (French, Marseilles 1808–1879 Valmondois), dated 19th century. Pen and black ink, red and brown wash, over black chalk; on beige paper, lined. Size on the museum record: Sheet: 4 3/16 x 8 9/16 in. (10.7 x 21.7cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Drawings and Prints collection — Bequest of Grégoire Tarnopol, 1979, and Gift of Alexander Tarnopol, 1980.
In The Met's records, Three Male Heads is a pen and black ink, red and brown wash, over black chalk; on beige paper, lined credited to Honoré Daumier. The museum dates it 19th century, and files it under accession 1980.21.10 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 3,590 × 1,857 pixels, which prints about 12.0 × 6.2 in at 300 dpi and 23.9 × 12.4 in at a still-comfortable 150 dpi. Its wide proportions sit naturally over a sofa, console or bed, and the crop figures in the set builder show what a standard frame would trim. Its warm reds and oranges suit walnut or gold, which deepen the glow instead of washing it out. 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. A warm picture light a few inches above the frame does more for a print than any paper upgrade, and the hanging centre line belongs near 57 inches.
The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 3,590 × 1,857 pixels — 6.7 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 12 × 6.2 in. That is bigger than the work on paper itself, which measures about 8.5 × 4.2 in — the file holds more detail than you can see standing in front of the original.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.
On the receipt
- Artist
- Honoré Daumier
- Date
- 19th century
- Medium
- Pen and black ink, red and brown wash, over black chalk; on beige paper, lined
- Size
- Sheet: 4 3/16 x 8 9/16 in. (10.7 x 21.7cm)
- Museum
- The Met · Drawings and Prints
- Accession
- 1980.21.10
- License
- Public domain · CC0 1.0
- Source
- Museum record ↗
More Honoré Daumier
All 14 →
A Man Reading in a Garden (recto); Preliminary sketch for a Man Reading in a Garden (verso)ca. 1865Free · sharp to 9.6 × 12.1 in at 300 dpi, uncropped
A Theater Audience19th centuryFree · sharp to 9.1 × 10.5 in at 300 dpi, uncropped
Allons haut! Y sommes-nous?, from "La Chasse"November 11, 1843Free · sharp to 9.4 × 12.1 in at 300 dpi, uncropped
Artists Examining the Work of a Rival (Artistes en train d'examiner le tableau d'un rival), from Le Public du Salon, published in "Le Charivari"May 14, 1852Free · sharp to 9.9 × 12.4 in at 300 dpi, uncropped