Have you become frustrated with the high price of wall art? I know I have. That's why I've gotten most of my my artwork either from thrift stores or by printing it out myself. In case you didn't already know, I'm here to tell you that there are great works of art -- in what they call the "public domain" -- that you can download and print for free (or have printed for you) and hang on the wall just like store-bought art. 

I've shared a printables library with my readers for a few years now, mainly consisting of graphics I designed and created myself. I've decided to take it to the next level and start adding a more diverse grouping of art work, all from the public domain (I'll explain more about that later).

  

Original artwork is protected by copyright from the moment of its inception. That basically means that no one else can use your art without your permission. Copyright is an automatic right which inures to the artist, and can be defended against infringement in a court of law. To learn more about copyright you can visit the U.S. Copyright Office's website. Suffice it to say that I will not be sharing copyrighted material with you.

So what does "public domain" mean? Copyright lasts for the life of the artist plus 70 years, after which it enters the public domain. In other words, after that time period you are free to use it without asking permission. (An artist can also designate their work as being in the public domain during their lifetime if they so choose.)

The images I'm sharing today (no strings attached) are free for personal and commercial use with no attribution required. If future shared images come with a different type of license, I will be transparent about it. 

The Grammar of Ornament, a graphic design book, was created by Owen Jones (1809–1874), a British architect. Jones traveled to many ancient cities throughout Europe and the Middle East collecting inspirational ornamental designs. The resulting book assembles exquisite vintage traditional patterns and ornamental designs.

Six of my favorites are featured below. Just click on the link below the image to be taken to the image in Dropbox. Then click "File" followed by either "Save as" (and save to somewhere on your computer) or "Print" to print (or both).  

I recommend saving them today because I plan to make them available for my subscribers only in the near future!

 

Owen Jones

The Grammar of Ornament, Indian No. 6  

 

Owen Jones

The Grammar of Ornament, XIX

 

Owen Jones