SMFA Library: Library Website: Finding Images

Subscription Image Databases

Artstor This link opens in a new window
Artstor is a great place to begin your image search. It provides access to 1.6 million (and growing) high-quality images contributed by over 1,500 museums, galleries, universities, and libraries worldwide. Additionally, the SMFA Library regularly uploads digitized images from our newest print books, ensuring that the collection represents a broad spectrum of contemporary art.

Please note that off-campus access to ARTstor is not granted through your library barcode. You will need to create an account on-campus using your e-mail address, after which you will have remote access for 120 days. To renew your off-campus access, simply log in from a computer on the SMFA campus.
CAMIO This link opens in a new window
CAMIO stands for “Catalog of Art Museum Images Online.” Here you will find images of art from museum collections worldwide, including objects from the MFA Boston, the Library of Congress, the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Publicly Available Online Image Collections

Our Publicly Available Online Image Collection s guide will help you navigate the growing number of digitized collections from museums, universities, historical archives, and other cultural heritage institutions

Google Image Search

Do you know about Google Advanced Image Search? Give it a try! It's a great way to harness the power of the regular Google Image Search toward delivering quality, trustworthy results. Some tips:

In the "image size" menu, select a larger option to help ensure image quality.
In the "site or domain" field, enter .edu and/or .org. This will limit your search to sites (from museums, universities, etc.) that are more likely to include complete and accurate information with image files.
Try filtering your search by "usage rights." In most cases, using images for scholarly work (papers, presentations) is protected by Fair Use, but incorporating images into the output of your artistic practice is a thornier issue. Knowing the licensing information for images you use is a smart way to work.