What is the largest sharp print size for Wild Geese and Water?

At 300 dpi, this 4,000 × 3,000 px file prints up to 13.3 × 10 in with gallery-sharp detail. At 150 dpi the file reaches 26.7 × 20 in, which is poster-sharp quality.

Which standard frame sizes give gallery-sharp prints of Wild Geese and Water?

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 Wild Geese and Water require cropping the image?

Standard frame aspect ratios may not match this artwork exactly; depending on the size chosen, up to 11% of the image could be cropped. Most print-on-demand services let you adjust the crop position or add a white mat border instead.

Wild Geese and Water — Katsushika Hokusai | Free high-res download

Wild Geese and Water

Katsushika Hokusai · 1839 · The Met, New York

Public domain · CC0 · $0.004,000 × 3,000 px · 12 MP

Prints gallery-sharp up to13.3 × 10 inat 300 dpi, uncropped · poster-sharp to 26.7 × 20 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	375	Gallery sharp	6%
14 × 11 in	272	Sharp up close	5%
16 × 12 in	250	Sharp up close	nothing
20 × 16 in	187	Poster sharp	6%
24 × 18 in	166	Poster sharp	nothing
36 × 24 in	111	Fine across a room	11%
40 × 30 in	100	Fine across a room	nothing

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

Wild Geese and Water is a work on paper by Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)), dated 1839. Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper. Size on the museum record: Image: 11 3/16 × 27 9/16 in. (28.4 × 70 cm) Overall with mounting: 45 3/8 × 30 7/16 in. (115.3 × 77.3 cm) Overall with knobs: 45 3/8 × 30 13/16 in. (115.3 × 78.2 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds it in its Asian Art collection — H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929.

The Met catalogs Wild Geese and Water as a hanging scroll; ink and color on paper by Katsushika Hokusai. The museum dates it 1839, and files it under accession 29.100.1403 in Asian Art. 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 4,000 × 3,000 pixels, which prints about 13.3 × 10.0 in at 300 dpi and 26.7 × 20.0 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. 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. Add a small picture light and keep the centre of the piece around 57 inches from the floor; those two choices make a reproduction look deliberate.

The Met released its scan under CC0, which means no permission, no fee and no credit line required. That file is 4,000 × 3,000 pixels — 12 megapixels — good for a gallery-sharp print up to 13.3 × 10 in. That is roughly life-size: the work on paper itself measures about 27.6 × 11.2 in.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: Katsushika Hokusai
Date: 1839
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Size: Image: 11 3/16 × 27 9/16 in. (28.4 × 70 cm) Overall with mounting: 45 3/8 × 30 7/16 in. (115.3 × 77.3 cm) Overall with knobs: 45 3/8 × 30 13/16 in. (115.3 × 78.2 cm)
Museum: The Met · Asian Art
Accession: 29.100.1403
License: Public domain · CC0 1.0
Source: Museum record ↗