On 7th February, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City announced that as part of it new Open Access policy,  it is placing more than 375,000 images of public-domain works in the museum’s collection under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) dedication.

The release, which covers images of the great majority of the museum’s holdings, will enable anyone, anywhere to freely access, use, and remix photos of some of the world’s most well-known works of art.

Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art Thomas P. Campbell concurs: “In making images of our public-domain artworks available to audiences under CC0, the Museum is adapting its practice to make our collection available in a way that best meets the needs of 21st-century, digital audiences. We are excited to share with the public new pathways to creativity, knowledge, and ideas as manifest in the greater utility of its collections spanning 5,000 years of art. The Metropolitan Museum of Art thanks Creative Commons, an international leader in collaboration, sharing, and copyright, for beings our partner in this effort.”

The Met Collection is available here.

Via wikimedia & Creative Commons.