Questions
Frequently asked questions
Here are the questions asked by students, teachers, bloggers and art lovers in general: what this reference is, how to work with images of artworks and what the law allows.
If you are not sure whether you may use an image, it is more honest to ask than to hope nobody notices.
About this reference
Is Dmii connected with the website that used to be on this domain?
No. There used to be a museum website here, but we do not have its pages or images and we are not restoring them. Only the domain name came to us.
Who prepares the content?
A small editorial team that relies on the texts of laws, descriptions of open licences and general good practice for working with images. We do not advertise specific institutions or services.
Can I buy a reproduction or a ticket from you?
No. We do not sell anything. Buy tickets on a museum's official website or at its ticket desk, and reproductions from those whom the rights holder has authorised.
Can I suggest a topic?
We choose topics ourselves, based on readers' typical questions. A list of articles in preparation is in the guides section.
Images online
Where can I find the most accurate image of a work?
In the online collection of the institution that holds it. The photo there is usually taken from the original, with a descriptive record alongside it.
Why does the same painting look different on different websites?
The photos were taken in different light and processed in different ways, and then they are shown on different screens. Rely on the image from the official collection.
How can I tell if a picture has been cropped?
Compare its proportions with the dimensions in the object record, and check whether the edges of the canvas or frame are visible in other photos.
Can I trust a virtual tour?
A tour conveys the space of a gallery and the layout of works well, but for examining details it is better to open a separate image of the object.
Rights and credits
How long does copyright in a painting last?
Under Russian law, copyright generally lasts for the author's lifetime plus 70 years, counted from 1 January of the year after their death. There are exceptions, and other countries set their own terms.
What can I do with a work in the public domain?
Use it freely, without consent or payment. But you should give the author's name: under Russian law, authorship is protected indefinitely.
What does a CC BY licence require?
The main condition is to credit the author. For other requirements, see the text of the specific licence next to the file.
How should I caption an image?
Artist, title, date, materials and technique, where the work is held, the source of the file and the terms of use. If you altered the image, say so.
See also
- Guides
Practical guides: how to find, check, caption and lawfully use an image of an artwork. The article catalogue is here too.
- Safety
Fake websites and shops, image rights, personal data and photos on social media — what to watch out for.
- Comparisons
Scan or photo, online collection or search result, open licence or public domain — a comparison of what really matters.
- Glossary
Terms in plain English: registering museum objects, resolution and colour accuracy, copyright and licences.
- Museum websites (in Russian)
The old address of the museum page: how to find an institution's real website and tell it apart from a fake.
Sources
- Civil Code of the Russian Federation (arts. 1281, 1282)
- Russian Federal Law No. 54-FZ
- 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.