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Art & Art History

This guide presents resources focusing on a variety of topics, styles, and mediums within the field of art.

Where to Find Images Online: Open Access

Find Images Online

How to Use Images: Image Copyright & Fair Use

  • Copyright: The legal right, given to an originator or owner of a work. Art and images of works of art are copyrighted. This means that U.S. Copyright Law grants creators of an original work the exclusive right to reproduce and distribute their own work. However, their are certain conditions which permit people the use of a copyrighted work without the creator's permission. See "Fair Use" for more details.
  • For more information on "Copyright", check out Brown University Library's guide on Images and Copyright by Karen Bouchard at the link below:
  • Fair Use: The policy that copyrighted material may (under certain circumstances) be quoted or used for purposes such as criticism, news reporting, teaching, and research, without the need for permission from or payment to the copyright holder. This allows scholars, students, teachers, and others to use works that are still in copyright protection for educational purposes. Always verify if you need to obtain permissions prior to assuming that a copyrighted item can be used.
  • For more information on "Fair Use", go to MIT Libraries' guide for Images and Fair Use by Ellen Duranceau at the link below: