Yes, a painting can be used in a game when the relevant rights allow it—but check both the artwork and the exact image file you plan to use. A painting may be in the public domain while a particular museum-supplied image has its own rights label or terms. Then confirm that the permission covers the game’s adaptations, release plans, territories, and related promotional uses.
How game developers license and adapt paintings for interactive projects
Clearance is a source-and-use check: identify the work, identify the image file, read the terms attached to that file, and compare those terms with what the game will actually do with it. The answer can vary by image provider and jurisdiction; a museum’s policy is not a universal rule.
Can you use a museum painting in a game—and do you need a separate image license?
Sometimes. Treat the underlying painting and its digital reproduction as related but distinct questions. The Metropolitan Museum of Art (The Met), for example, separates images of works it believes are public domain or whose copyright it waives from images it knows to be copyrighted or otherwise restricted. A painting’s status alone therefore does not tell you the terms for every image of it online.
The Met says images of eligible public-domain works bearing its Open Access icon are available for unrestricted use at no cost under CC0 and the website terms. Its Image and Data Resources page describes more than 406,000 high-resolution images as downloadable, shareable, and remixable; the page was accessed in 2026 and does not date that count. The policy was implemented on February 7, 2017. Eligibility is specific: not every image on The Met’s site, and not every museum image, qualifies.
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Compare the image routes before building around one
| Route | What the cited source establishes | What to verify for your project |
|---|---|---|
| The Met Open Access image | The Met says eligible public-domain images marked with its Open Access icon are available at no cost under CC0 and website terms. Its page describes more than 406,000 hi-res images as of access in 2026. | That the exact image bears the icon, the applicable website terms, and whether any separate elements in the file have restrictions. |
| Restricted or unavailable image from The Met | The Met directs requests to Art Resource, its primary partner for worldwide licensing fulfillment. Fees depend on proposed use and image availability. | Whether the requested image can be supplied and whether the offered permission covers the game and all intended uses. |
| New photography requested from The Met | The Met says new photography is reviewed case by case, may incur additional fees, takes at least six weeks, and can be denied. | Approval, delivery timing, cost, and the specific rights granted; these are Met-specific terms, not a general museum standard. |
A practical clearance workflow
1. Identify the painting and the exact file
Record the artist, title, date, holding institution or image provider, image URL or asset ID, and rights label displayed for that particular file. Keep the file itself or an identifying record with those details. Similar images of the same painting may come from different providers and carry different terms.
2. Read the file’s label and terms
Check the rights label and the provider’s terms for the exact asset, rather than relying on a search result, a general collection page, or the painting’s public-domain status. Confirm any attribution, notice, or use restrictions. If the label is unclear, ask the provider or relevant rights contact to clarify it in writing.
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3. Map the planned uses
Describe the actual implementation before seeking permission. The agreement may need to address more than a still image in the game. Ask whether the contemplated permission covers:
- In-game display and interactive use, including cropping, recoloring, animation, compositing, or stylization.
- Commercial release, platforms, territories, and the duration of the permission.
- Updates, downloadable content, and successor or ported versions, if planned.
- Marketing assets, trailers, livestreams or other streams, and user-generated content, if those contexts are relevant.
These are practical questions to negotiate with the actual licensor, not a universal list of clauses or a statement that any particular law requires them.
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4. Request permission when the terms do not clearly fit
Contact the rights holder or licensing agent identified by the provider. Give a concise description of the game, the image and planned adaptations, commercial model, platforms, launch territories, promotional uses, and expected release period. Ask for the grant and any restrictions in writing. For The Met’s restricted or unavailable images, its stated route is Art Resource; its fees and review process are specific to that institution.
5. Keep the clearance record with the asset
Store the license or permission, source and version of the image, rights label, required credit, restrictions, and any expiry or renewal date in the project’s asset records. WIPO’s 2022 guide, Mastering the Game: Business and Legal Issues for Video Game Developers, flags copyright and contracts determining ownership of creative content as important matters for developers.
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6. Check each intended distribution context
Video games combine creative and technical elements, and national legal systems may classify them differently. WIPO’s 2013 Study on the Legal Status of Video Games compares national approaches and discusses the different elements involved, including pictorial works and software. Treat it as background rather than current local advice: for uncertain or high-value uses, consult a qualified adviser in the target territories.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a real-world digital licensing example does—and does not—show
An MFA Boston announcement described a partnership with Spaceport to offer digital licensing access to selected collection works for contexts including Roblox, Fortnite, and metaverse projects. It illustrates one announced route for selected works, not a blanket license for the museum’s collection. The announcement’s current availability, terms, and eligibility are not established here, so verify them with MFA Boston or Spaceport before relying on the program.
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What to take away about painting licenses in games
There is no universal clearance answer based only on the painting’s age or the museum holding it. Identify the exact file, establish its rights terms, match those terms to the game’s full use, and preserve the permission record. The Met’s Open Access program provides a clearly described route for eligible images; other files and providers require their own checks.
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