NGA Images, a New Collection Image Resource, and Open Access Policy Launched
by National Gallery Of Art, Washington

Washington, DC—The National Gallery of Art announces the launch today of NGA
Images, a new online resource that revolutionizes the way the public may
interact with its world-class collection at http://images.nga.gov. This
repository of digital images documenting the National Gallery of Art
collections allows users to search, browse, share, and download images
believed to be in the public domain.

"As the Gallery marks its 71st anniversary, it is fitting that we introduce
NGA Images and an accompanying open access policy, which underscore the
Gallery's mission and national role in making its collection images and
information available to scholars, educators, and the general public," said
Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art. "In turn this
supports research, teaching, and personal enrichment; promotes
interdisciplinary research; and nurtures an appreciation of all that
inspires great works of art."

Many of the open access images have been digitized with the generous support
of the Samuel H. Kress Foundation.

NGA Images

Designed by Gallery experts to facilitate learning, enrichment, enjoyment,
and exploration, NGA Images features more than 20,000 open access digital
images, up to 3,000 pixels each, available free of charge for download and
use. The resource is easily accessible through the Gallery's website, and a
standards-based reproduction guide and a help section provide advice for
both novices and experts.

Users may search by keyword in the Quick Search box on the home page of NGA
Images, or they may browse the regularly updated "featured" image
collections prepared by Gallery staff on topics such as 19th-century French
Art or frequently requested works.

Other features for users include the ability to create one or more
"lightboxes," or images sets, and to save, share, and download multiple
images at a time. Users may add individual labels and notes to their
lightboxes or to images within them. Links to users' customized lightboxes
may be shared via e-mail or may be copied and pasted to social media sites.

Users may freely browse the NGA Images website and download screen- and
lecture-size images without registering an account. Registration is required
to use certain features of the NGA Images website, including saving and
sharing lightboxes and e-mailing image links to others. Additionally,
registration is required to fulfill certain image requests, including direct
downloads of reproduction-ready images.

Open Access Policy for Images of Works of Art Presumed in the Public Domain

With the launch of NGA Images, the National Gallery of Art implements an
open access policy for digital images of works of art that the Gallery
believes to be in the public domain (those not subject to copyright
protection). Under the open access policy, users may download any of these
images free of charge and without seeking authorization from the Gallery for
any use, commercial or non-commercial.

The Gallery's open access policy is a natural extension of its mission to
serve the United States of America by preserving, collecting, exhibiting,
and fostering the understanding of works of art at the highest possible
museum and scholarly standards. In applying the policy in a global digital
environment, the Gallery also expands and enhances its educational and
scholarly outreach. The Gallery believes that increased access to
high-quality images of its works of art fuels knowledge, scholarship, and
innovation, inspiring uses that continually transform the way we see and
understand the world of art.

View the full Open Access Policy at http://images.nga.gov/openaccess.