Last updated — March 20, 2026
VisualArtsDB is an open, non-commercial research and educational platform that aggregates publicly available artwork metadata and images from museum open-access programs and public APIs. We do not claim ownership of any artwork, image, or descriptive content displayed on this platform. VisualArtsDB serves as a discovery tool to help users explore and learn about visual art across cultures and centuries.
Artwork images and metadata are sourced from public museum APIs and open-access collections, including but not limited to the Art Institute of Chicago, Rijksmuseum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and WikiArt. Each institution retains all rights to its content.
Where images are designated as public domain or released under Creative Commons Zero (CC0), they are displayed in accordance with those terms. Images not explicitly marked as public domain are displayed for educational and research purposes under applicable fair use provisions. We respect and comply with the terms of use of each source institution.
VisualArtsDB is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, express or implied. We make reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of artwork metadata — including titles, dates, artist attributions, dimensions, and classifications — but cannot guarantee completeness or correctness. Metadata may contain errors inherited from source databases.
Museum records and institutional databases are the authoritative source for all artwork information. Users should verify critical details with the holding institution before relying on them for publication or academic purposes.
The VisualArtsDB name, logo, and original site design are the property of the project creators. All artwork images, descriptions, and metadata remain the property of their respective institutions and rights holders. The compilation and presentation of data on this platform does not transfer any intellectual property rights to VisualArtsDB or its users.
If you are a rights holder and believe content on VisualArtsDB infringes your intellectual property or other rights, we encourage you to submit a takedown request. Valid requests should include a description of the copyrighted work, the URL(s) where the content appears on VisualArtsDB, and a statement of good faith belief that the use is not authorized. We will review all valid requests promptly and remove or disable access to the content in question.
VisualArtsDB does not require user accounts and does not collect personally identifiable information. We do not use cookies for tracking. We may use anonymous, aggregated analytics (such as page view counts) to understand usage patterns and improve the platform. No data is sold, shared with, or disclosed to third parties.
VisualArtsDB may contain links to external websites, including museum collection pages and artist resources. We are not responsible for the content, privacy practices, or availability of these external sites. Accessing third-party links is at your own risk and subject to those sites' terms and policies.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, VisualArtsDB and its creators shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, consequential, or punitive damages arising from your use of, or inability to use, this platform. This includes but is not limited to damages resulting from errors in artwork metadata, broken image links, or service interruptions.
We may update these terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. Continued use of VisualArtsDB after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised terms. We encourage you to review this page periodically.