What is WikiArt?
WikiArt is a free online encyclopedia of visual art, kept up by a volunteer team. Its stated aim is to make the world's art accessible to anyone, and its about page cites some 250,000 artworks by 3,000 artists held in more than 100 countries. Many of those works are not on public display, so this is one of the few ways to see them.
You can browse by artist, art movement, school, genre, field, nationality or century, and by the style, genre or medium of an artwork. Copyrighted pieces are shown at low resolution under fair use for education. There is an artwork of the day, you can sign in to save favourites and albums, and the site is available in several languages. It also has a shop for prints and reproductions.
Main Features
- Artworks from many periods and countries
- Browse by artist, movement, school, genre, nationality and century
- Filter artworks by style, genre and medium
- Artwork of the day
- Favourites and albums when signed in
- Several interface languages
- Separate shop for prints and reproductions
How to Get Started with WikiArt
- Open wikiart.org in your browser.
- Choose Artists or Artworks in the menu.
- Browse by movement, style or century.
- Open an artwork to read its details and see related works.
- Sign in if you want to save favourites or albums.
WikiArt Pricing
WikiArt is free to browse and describes itself as non-profit, paying its costs with advertising. No paid plan is listed. Prints and handmade reproductions in its shop cost extra.
Who Should Use It?
- Art history students
- Artists looking for reference and inspiration
- Teachers building slides on art movements
- Anyone who enjoys browsing paintings
WikiArt Alternatives
- A Walkable History of Art lets you walk through art history in a browser gallery.
- Museum of Ages is a digital museum that rebuilds the past in 3D.
- Project Gutenberg offers free public domain ebooks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is WikiArt free?
Yes. It is free to browse, with ads. Prints from its shop are sold separately.
How many artworks does WikiArt have?
Its about page cites some 250,000 artworks by 3,000 artists.
Can I use WikiArt images freely?
Not always. It shows both public domain and copyrighted works, and copyrighted pieces appear under fair use at low resolution. Check each work.
Do I need an account?
No, only to save favourites or albums.