Comparisons
Comparisons
Many questions about images of art have no single right answer — only a choice that depends on the object and the task. Below we compare common options by the properties that genuinely affect the result.
A picture from a search saves a minute; an image from an official collection saves hours of fixing mistakes.
How this section works: we compare approaches and legal regimes, not specific websites, devices or programs. Legal information is given in general terms, based on the text of Russian law; other countries have their own rules.
Scan or photograph
| Property | Scan | Photograph |
|---|---|---|
| Suitable objects | Flat sheets: drawings, postcards, letters, photographs | Three-dimensional objects, large works, fragile items and anything that cannot be pressed flat |
| Lighting | Even, built into the scanner | Up to you: you need diffused light without glare |
| Geometry | No perspective distortion | The camera must be held exactly parallel to the object |
| Risk to the object | Pressure from the glass and heat for fragile sheets | Minimal when shooting without flash and without touching |
| Don't forget | Clean glass and the same settings for the whole series | A colour chart and a ruler in the frame |
Online collection or search result
| Property | Online collection | Search result |
|---|---|---|
| Where the image comes from | Usually photographed from the original for the institution | Unknown origin, often a copy of a copy |
| Caption | A record with date, materials and dimensions | May be missing or mixed up |
| Quality | Often available in a large, zoomable version | Often compressed, cropped or recoloured |
| Terms of use | Usually stated on the website | Usually unknown; you will have to find out |
Open licence or public domain
| Property | Open licence | Public domain |
|---|---|---|
| Where it comes from | The rights holder permits use on their own terms | The copyright term has expired |
| Permission needed? | No, as long as you meet the licence conditions | No, it can be used without consent or payment |
| Credit the author? | Yes, if the licence requires it — CC BY, for example | Yes: under Russian law, authorship and the author's name are protected indefinitely |
| What to check | Which licence exactly, and what its conditions are | The year the author died and any exceptions to the general term; terms vary by country |
See also
- Guides
Practical guides: how to find, check, caption and lawfully use an image of an artwork. The article catalogue is here too.
- Tools
The kinds of tools available: online collections, reverse image search, zoomable viewers, scanners, colour charts and metadata.
- Safety
Fake websites and shops, image rights, personal data and photos on social media — what to watch out for.
- Glossary
Terms in plain English: registering museum objects, resolution and colour accuracy, copyright and licences.
- Questions
Answers about this reference, about images of artworks on the internet and the rights attached to them.
Sources
- Civil Code of the Russian Federation (arts. 1281, 1282)
- Creative Commons — licence descriptions (in general terms)
Information on copyright terms, the public domain, open licences and the registration of museum objects was checked against the texts of the laws and the licence descriptions as of the date this page was prepared. The legal points refer to Russian law; terms and exceptions differ from country to country, so check the rules where you live. Online collections and image viewers work differently on different websites, so we describe them in general terms.