The Museum's Permanent Collection
How can I obtain more information about a work of art in the Museum's permanent collection?
There are several ways. Many works in the collection are reproduced and discussed on the Museum's Web site.
i) The Metropolitan Museum's collection includes more than two million works of art. Information and images of nearly 30,000 of these works is available online as part of the Collection Database. In addition, the Museum's Provenance Research Project, a list of all European paintings in the collection with an incomplete provenance for the Nazi era, is available online and lists all such paintings alphabetically by artist.
ii) The Timeline of Art History places objects from the collection in various chronological, geographic, and thematic contexts.
iii) Many works of art in the Museum's collection are reproduced in various Metropolitan publications. For an online list of published resources about works in the collection, see Metropolitan Publications or visit the online Met Store.
iv) Many Museum publications are available, on a noncirculating basis, to the general public in the Library and Teacher Resource Center in the Ruth and Harold D. Uris Center for Education, and to qualified researchers in the Thomas J. Watson Library. Consult Watsonline, the online catalogue of the holdings of the Museum's libraries, to determine the location and availability of a particular book.
How do I find out if a particular work of art is in the Met's collection?
Finding one object within a collection of more than two million works may be difficult. However, the Works of Art section which reproduces and discusses more than 3,500 objects in the collection, may be helpful. This section of the site can be searched by various categories, including artist, subject, and nationality. You may also find it helpful to consult various Metropolitan publications. See Met Publications for a complete list of titles. Many of these books are available for purchase in the Met Store and for consultation in the Museum's Library and Teacher Resource Center.
How can I find out if a particular work of art in the collection is currently on display in the Museum?
When visiting the Museum, you can check with the Information Desk located in the Great Hall. Please provide the Visitor Services representative with as much information as possible, including artist, title, nationality, type of object, and approximate date.
Please note that most of the objects in the Museum's departments of European Paintings and Egyptian Art collections are on view in the permanent galleries. The Museum's American Paintings and Sculpture and American Decorative Arts collections are on view both in the galleries and the Henry R. Luce Study Center (no appointment necessary). Works from the following departments are on view in the permanent galleries and also available for viewing, by appointment to qualified researchers, in the Museum's many Study Centers: Arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas; Drawings and Prints; Photographs; and the Antonio Ratti Textile Center.
Reproductions of Met Objects
Can I obtain a photograph of a work of art in the Museum's collection for study, educational, or personal use?
Yes. For further information, see the Image Library. The Met Store also sells a wide range of postcards, posters, and prints of works from the collection. You can browse the online Met Store by artist or art historical period.
How do I obtain a photograph of a work of art from the collection for reproduction in a publication?
See Make a request for study, editorial, or commercial use for information on policies and procedures.
Can I download an image of a work of art reproduced on the Museum's website?
Yes, but only for personal or educational use. Please see Terms and Conditions for restrictions.
Research
How can I obtain more information about a work of art, artist, or art-related topic that is not necessarily represented in the Metropolitan's collection?
The Museum's Hazen Center for Electronic Information Resources contains hundreds of art-related and general resources, with links, for online research. The Hazen Center also provides a list of published and online reference resources. In addition, the online Met Store offers a wide range of art reference and research publications.
Appraisals
Does the Museum appraise or authenticate works of art?
No. You should consult a reputable art dealer, appraiser, or auction house.
How can I find out the value of an artwork in my own collection?
The Museum does not evaluate or authenticate works of art. You should consult a reputable art dealer, appraiser, or auction house. In addition the following published reference works may be helpful:
Annual Art Sales Index, Gordon's Print Price Annual, Leonard's Annual Price Index of Art Auctions, and Mayer's International Auction Records.
Acquisitions
Does the Museum still acquire works of art?
Yes. Thanks to the resourcefulness of the Museum's curatorial staff and the generosity of its donors, the Metropolitan is still able to acquire, through gift and purchase, masterworks of the highest quality and importance. A selected list of Recent Acquisitions is reproduced and discussed in the Works of Art section of the website.
Contact Information
See Contact Information.
