Now that most museums have made some or all of their permanent collections available at high resolution to the public, it's easier than ever to start an art collection and build a beautiful gallery wall - all without breaking the bank! 

A few weeks ago we featured a stunning Van Gogh from the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  This week, we're back in their archives with two sublime works by Claude Monet.  If relaxing, subdued colors are more your speed, these gorgeous works will be right up your alley. 

The Manneporte (Etretat) was painted in 1883 and The Manneporte near Etretat in 1886.  Three years apart, both capture the landscape with a familiar feeling and ambiance. Monet is a classic artist that would fit right in with any decor style and complete any gallery wall with a timeless touch. 

For these beautiful paintings, I chose to frame them in our Natural Stain on Basswood with a distressed texture accent.  The color perfectly compliments the colors of the landscape while the distressed outline complements the texture in Monet's work. These paintings would, however, work in just about any frame from a simple black or white to a deeply saturated blue or purple.  

Want to recreate this look in your home?  You can download these (and more!) Monet paintings at the Met's Open Access collection.  Once you download the images you want, head to the custom framing shop and get started! Upload to any frame (or for the museum effect - upload to a custom-sized canvas!)

 

Happy Free Art Friday!