Using the atlas
& its images.

A picture for your wall

Open a work and follow View the original to its museum, library or archive. That’s the best place to look for a larger download, printing details and the work’s rights statement. The previews here are smaller copies made for browsing.

Rights belong with each work. An image, its catalogue description and a particular book edition can have different terms. Check the source before printing, publishing or selling a copy; an open collection does not give every item the same licence.

The place and the date

A pin can mark what a picture shows, where something was made or published, or where its creator was born. The label on the work tells you which. Some archives only name a country or give an approximate date; those limits stay visible here.

The map uses present-day geography. Open Archive & attribution for the source record and the evidence behind a place or date.

A collection of your own

Bookmarks and collections in My Atlas are saved in this browser, on this device. Export a backup to keep a copy or move it elsewhere. Clearing this site’s browser data can remove your saves.

Recent discoveries are optional. Turn them on in My Atlas to remember the last 36 works you open. You can clear that history or switch it off there; saved works and collections are kept.

A shared collection link contains its name and the chosen work references. Anyone with the link can open it and save a copy. Later changes stay in your own collection, so send a new link to share an updated version.

Something needs a closer look?

Corrections and broken-image reports are welcome. Use the report link on a work, or email atlasofworks@gmail.com.