35 Free Vintage Art Downloads
Looking for free vintage art to dress up your home? I have curated 35 of my favorite vintage art that are ready for you to download.
If I was rich I would have a house filled with antique oil paintings from Europe. They would be so lovely and hanging on all our walls just what it looks like in Downton Abbey. I’m not rich and that’s A OK! Instead of longing for something I cannot afford I came up with an alternative that I want to share with you! Free vintage art completely downloadable and ready for you to print!!
I’ve done all the hunting for you! Below you can access these downloads but first are some tips on printing and framing.
Affiliate links are provided below. Please see my full disclosure.
I rather stumbled upon this amazing free resource while I was searching for antique art and want to share this with you! Thankfully we now have access to open source vintage digital art through all sorts of art museums and other resources.
Where to Find Vintage Art
Nowadays it’s easier than ever to find what you are looking for. With all the digital technology we have many works of art have been preserved and uploaded into databases at a variety of art museums. These downloads have been labeled as open source.
Many art museums have provided the opportunity to download Open Access pieces of art without restriction to use, share or even remix. These pieces are out of copyright and available to us.
The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art has more than 406,000 images of artworks from their collection and there are many other museums offering the same.
Some other museums:
This is not an exhaustive list; many more museums also offer open source art to download and use. Once I made this discovery it’s all I could do not to pursue various online museums to find fabulous pieces. A few hours later and I was hooked!
I might have even fed my family sandwiches that evening instead of cooking because I was addicted to the hunt for art!
I found line drawings, oil paintings, watercolor prints and I gasped every time I found a keeper!
What is Digital Downloadable Art?
So, this refers to a piece that you download to your computer; not an actual piece of art you can hold in your hand. Once downloaded to your computer you can choose to print the artwork from home or have it printed professionally, use it as a screen saver or as art displayed on your television.
I recommend downloading these files to a computer rather than a phone or iPad making it easier to have them printed at home or professionally.
Where to Print Vintage Art
If you are printing something small you could manage this on your home printer if you like.
There are dozens of places that can print your artwork for you making this super simple. A local print shop, the FedEx printing office, or Staples are great places to go if you want to print locally.
I have been going to Walgreens since they are up the street from my house. They usually have online coupon codes making printing super inexpensive and since these downloads are free the cost to you for printing is minimal.
VistaPrint is also another great option for online printing and mailing to your home. Free downloadable art, printed and delivered right to your door. How easy is that! Of course there are many other sources for printing; select your favorite.
How to Print Vintage Art
Since I am not an expert in this department I will pass on what I have learned and heard from people who are art experts.
They say to print on the type of paper/material that is closest to what the original would have been on. This of course is just a suggestion as I’ve been printing my vintage art pieces at Walgreens and have been happy with the result. I’m just printing them and adding them to frames for the seasons.
- Oil painting – maybe try printing it on canvas
- Line drawing – print it on matte paper
- Watercolor painting – watercolor paper or matte paper.
Moab Rag (according to Splendus) is another great paper that is thicker, has a bit of texture, and is 100% cotton.
Take into consideration the project you are working on and what you are displaying and where. Sometimes you may just want some quick vintage art to add to a frame. Other times you might want something more substantial for a larger project.
Frames for Vintage Art
You can find frames in a myriad of places at all different price points. Since I want this to be a more affordable project for you to accomplish I have listed some nice options here that won’t break the bank.
Thrift Stores are also a great place because you might find a nice vintage frame that compliments your vintage print making your art look even more curated.
Other Related Vintage Art Posts:
- How to Print and Frame Vintage Art (+ Free Downloads)
- How to Create a Welcoming Entry Way
- Furnish Your Home with Facebook Marketplace
- Items to Buy at the Thrift Store
35 FREE VINTAGE ART DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
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Thanks so much for locating and sharing these! They are all beautiful 🥰.
You are very welcome…glad to share
Hi Amy! These prints are beautiful! I’m typing in my name and email address and consenting to both boxes and I’m still not receiving an email in my inbox. I’m sure it’s my fault… but would you mind telling me the best way to solve this problem? It’s possible the email just takes a while to come through, in which case, I just subscribed to your newsletter 4 times haha! Thanks, Taylor
I submitted my email but still haven’t received the free downloads! Is there any other way to get them?
Do you have a list of the artist’s names that go along with each painting?
Unfortunately I do not for each of those, but this post has a few more prints and lists the artist’s name. https://www.amelialawrencestyle.com/free-printable-art-sources/
Hell Fani and thank you for reaching out. Sorry for my slow reply. I am sorry you experienced and issue with the email. I searched my email system and see that you are listed as a subscriber and confirmed. Let me know if you are still having an issue receiving the emails. Happy to resolve.
I am sorry Taylor for the issue. I had a glitch with my email provider sending the prints out, but it should be resolved. I see that you are on my subscriber list. Let me know if they did not make it to you and I will email them personally to your inbox.
Hi! I submitted my email & waiting for the downloads. Do I need to resubmit my email?
Hello Flora!
Thank you for subscribing and sorry for your trouble. I see your email in my system, but you have not confirmed the subscription. Do a search for Amelia Lawrence in your inbox to locate the confirmation email. There should be a black box in the email that asks you to confirm your email for your downloads. Try that and see if it works.
What size are the prints?
Thank you
Sandy
The prints range in size as they were saved in their original version. You can adjust the size for your printing and framing needs.
I haven’t received my free downloads or a way to confirm my email.
Hello Donna! Thank you for reaching out. Sorry for any inconvenience. I see that it was delivered, opened and clicked on 4 times. Please let me know if you are still having issues and I will resend personally. Amy