Bridgeman Art Library - The Library Today

The Library Today

The Bridgeman Art Library is a company that represents museums, art collections and artists throughout the world by providing a central source of fine art for image users.

The company's aim is to make these images accessible for users on a commercial basis; each one has been catalogued with full picture data and key-worded to simplify the search process. A full research service is also provided whereby expert researchers can select images to the customer's requirements.

In addition to fine art, designs, antiques, maps, architecture, furniture, glass, ceramics, anthropological artefacts and many other media are featured in the collection.

Bridgeman also provides customers with reproduction licensing and offers advice on how to clear artist’s copyright, if additional permission is needed. Copyright holders receive remuneration in the form of half the reproduction fee paid by the customer.

In addition to supplying images to consumers, Bridgeman works with copyright holders to creates high quality reproductions of artists' works using the latest imaging technology.

Over 500 new images are added to the Bridgeman archive each week. Museums represented in the archive includethe British Museum; the British Library; the National Galleries of Scotland, Sweden and South Africa; the Hamburg Kunsthalle; and the Barnes Foundation.