The Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access API

[ The API and this documentation are a work in progress. Last update: 2024-11-22 ]

The Cleveland Museum of Art Open Access

The Cleveland Museum of Art (CMA) was founded in 1913 “for the benefit of all the people forever.” The museum strives to help the broadest possible audience understand and engage with the world’s great art. The Cleveland Museum of Art is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world and one of northeastern Ohio’s principal civic and cultural institutions. 

The Cleveland Museum of Art provides datasets of information on more than 64,000 artwork records in its Collection for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use. Additionally, the museum provides image assets for over 37,000 works, which are made available under the same terms. Links to the web, print, and full-sized, uncompressed versions of these images are included in the dataset where applicable.

To the extent possible under law, The Cleveland Museum of Art has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this dataset using Creative Commons Zero. This work is published from: The United States Of America. You can also find the text of the CC Zero deed in the file LICENSE in this repository. These select datasets are now available for use in any media without permission or fee; they also include identifying data for artworks under copyright. The datasets support the search, use, and interaction with the Museum’s collection.

For more information about CMA's Open Access initiative, please visit:

https://clevelandart.org/open-access

For any questions about the dataset, the API, or anything else related to CMA's Open Access initiative, please contact:

[email protected]

Code examples for querying the API and manipulating the response data can be found here.

If you do not wish to use our API, you can obtain the complete and current dataset in JSON or CSV format from our GitHub repository.

Release History

Version 4.0.0 (2024-11-22)

New major version 4.0 incorporates many changes intended to improve usability of CMA artwork objects. It is fully backwards-compatible to 3.x versions for existing users, but offers additional sorting/filtering/searching features and standardizes field names previously different across different object types.

Version History:

Version 3.1.2 (2023-10-23)

Version 3.1.1 (2023-10-13)

Version 3.1.0 (2023-01-13)

Version 3.0.0 (2023-01-09)

Version 2.3.6 (2022-09-02)

Version 2.3.5 (2022-03-24)

Version 2.3.4 (2022-03-21)

Version 2.3.3 (2021-06-25)

Version 2.3.2 (2021-04-07)

Version 2.3.1 (2021-03-21)

Version 2.3 (2020-11-02)

Version 2.2 (2020-10-18)

Version 2.1 (2020-03-23)

Version 2.0 (2020-03-19)

Version 1.0 (2019-01-23)

Data

Updates

All of the data in API and corresponding GitHub repository , collectively referred to here as the "dataset", is updated via automated process daily directly from our central collection content management system (CCMS). Any changes in the CCMS will be reflected upon this update in the dataset.

As part of this update, the data in the CCMS is analyzed to account for any new artworks or new information in an artwork record that would necessitate a change to the share_license_status field.

This field will have values of "CC0", "Copyrighted", or "Other". While all data in the dataset is released with a CC0 designation, only artworks with the CC0 share_license_status will additionally provide access to CC0 images.

These automated updates are generally completed by 5am daily.

API Endpoints

GET Artworks (Search)

Get a list of artworks and associated metadata and image links based on a search term.

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/

Parameters

Name Type Description
q string Any keyword or phrase that searches against title, creator, artwork description, and several other meaningful fields related to the artwork.
cc0 none Filters by works that have share license cc0 .
copyrighted none Filters by works that have some sort of copyright.
department string Filter by department. List of valid departments in Appendix B.
type string Filter by artwork types. List of valid types in Appendix C.
orderby string Order results by field name, as described in Advanced Search Fields below. Supports either "[fieldname] ASC/DESC" syntax, or "+/-[fieldname]" syntax for ordering.
has_image integer 0 or 1. Filter to return only artworks that have a web image asset. ( synonymous with the deprecated field web_image )
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.
skip integer Offset index for results.
limit integer Limit for number of results. If no limit provided, API will return the maximum (1000) number of records.
updated_since ISO-8601 date string Return artworks updated since date string (represented in ISO-8601 format). eg:
updated_since=2022-01-01
fields string Comma-delimited list of fields to be returned in the API response (instead of returning all fields).

Advanced Search Fields

Name Type Description
artists string Filter by name of artist.
culture string Filter by culture description of creator(s).
title string Filter by title of artwork.
technique string Filter by artwork technique, i.e. materials of creation. For example, "wood carving" or "glass beads"
medium string Filter by artwork technique, i.e. materials of creation. For example, "wood carving" or "glass beads".
Alias for "technique".
dimensions float,float,float Filter artworks by dimensions with the unit of measurement being meters. This filter is somewhat tricky, as the terminolgy for describing object dimensions varies from object to object (for example coins have diameters, swords have lengths, and necklaces have heights). An object's most descriptive dimension (whatever you think is the best way to describe it in meters) is generally put in the first part of the comma seperated list of dimensions. A default value of 20cm will be used if no value is provided for a dimension in the list. The second and third dimensions places are interchangable and describe a square that an object's remaining dimensions could fit inside. The dimensions filter returns objects with a fault tolerance of 20cm on all dimensions.
dimensions_max float,float,float Filter artworks to return all works that can fit inside a box defined by provided 3 values with the unit of measurement being meters. Place the most descriptive dimension in the first value, and any remaining dimensions in the second two values. If no value is provided for a dimension, a default value of 20cm is used. The dimensions_max filter has a fault tolerance of 0 on all dimensions, and will not return objects that cannot fit in the described box.
dimensions_min float,float,float Filter artworks to return all works that cannot fit inside a box defined by provided 3 values with the unit of measurement being meters. Place the most descriptive dimension in the first value, and any remaining dimensions in the second two values. If no value is provided for a dimension, a default value of 20cm is used. The dimensions_min filter has a fault tolerance of 0 on all dimensions, and will not return objects that can fit in the described box.
credit string Filter by credit line.
catalogue_raisonne string Filter by catalogue raisonne.
provenance string Filter by provenance of artwork
citations string Keyword search against the citations field.
exhibition_history string Filter by exhibition history of artwork.
created_before integer Returns artworks created before the year specified. Negative years are BCE.
created_after integer Returns artworks created after the year specified. Negative years are BCE.
currently_on_view none Filters by works that are currently on view at CMA.
currently_on_loan none Filters by works that are currently on loan.
artist_tags none A comma-separated list of Tags that filters by works based on CMA artist tags. The next two options are tags that are still broken out separately for backwards-compatibility purposes.
african_american_artists none Filters by works created by African American artists.
cia_alumni_artists none Filters by works created by Cleveland Institute of Art alumni.
may_show_artists none Filters by works exhibited in Cleveland Museum of Art May Shows
female_artists none Filters by artworks created by female artists.
recently_acquired none Filters by artworks acquired by the museum in the last three years.
nazi_era_provenance none Filters by nazi-era provenance .
created_after_age integer Filters by artworks that were created by artists older than the provided value in years at time of creation.
created_before_age integer Filters by artworks that were created by artists younger than the provided value in years at time of creation.
description string Filter by description.
did_you_know string Filters “Did you know?” value.
gallery string parameter was added to Artworks. Filters by gallery.
exhibtion_id integer Filter by exhibition id from Athena. Used for creating exhibition filters on Collection Online.
asian_american_artists boolean Filters by works created by Asian American artists..
lgbtq_artists boolean Filters by works created by LGBTQ artists.
is_3d boolean Filters artwork that has a 3d sketchfab model. Value must be 1 for this filter to be applied.
collection string Subset of Curatorial area of collection.
department string Filters by department, i.e., curatorial area of collection.
highlight string Filter artworks that are to be highlighted on the Collection Online main page. Value must be 1 for this filter to be applied.
highlight string Filter artworks that are to be highlighted on the Collection Online main page. Value must be 1 for this filter to be applied.
classification_type string Filter by classification type (type of object).. Alias for type.
accession_number string Filter by accession number

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?q=song%20xu&skip=2&limit=1&indent=1

Example Response

(A complete listing of the fields in the response can be found in Appendix A.)

{
 "info": {
  "total": 22,
  "parameters": {
   "q": "song xu",
   "skip": "2",
   "limit": "1",
   "indent": "1",
   "search": "song xu"
  }
 },
 "data": [
  {
   "id": 160729,
   "accession_number": "1998.78.14",
   "share_license_status": "CC0",
   "tombstone": "Eighteen Views of Huzhou: Baoyang Lake, 1500s. Song Xu (Chinese, 1525-c. 1606). Album; ink and color on silk; sheet: 26.4 x 28.4 cm (10 3/8 x 11 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 1998.78.14",
   "current_location": null,
   "title": "Baoyang Lake",
   "title_in_original_language": "\u5305\u967d\u6e56",
   "series": "Eighteen Views of Huzhou",
   "series_in_original_language": "\u6e56\u5dde\u5341\u516b\u666f\u5716",
   "creation_date": "1500s",
   "creation_date_earliest": 1525,
   "creation_date_latest": 1599,
   "creators": [
    {
     "description": "Song Xu (Chinese, 1525-c. 1606)",
     "extent": null,
     "qualifier": null,
     "role": "artist",
     "biography": "Song Xu (\u5b8b\u65ed, 1525-c. 1606), was a versatile Chinese painter active in northern Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces. He was skilled in landscapes, boundary paintings (\u754c\u756b, paintings of architecture), figure painting, and Buddhist painting. Although born a commoner, he also cultivated the literati arts of poetry and calligraphy. He studied Chan Buddhism and eventually became a Buddhist priest himself.",
     "name_in_original_language": "\u5b8b\u65ed",
     "birth_year": "1525",
     "death_year": "1606"
    }
   ],
   "culture": [
    "China, Jiaxing, 16th century"
   ],
   "technique": "album; ink and color on silk",
   "support_materials": [],
   "department": "Chinese Art",
   "collection": "ASIAN - Album leaf",
   "type": "Painting",
   "measurements": "Sheet: 26.4 x 28.4 cm (10 3/8 x 11 3/16 in.)",
   "dimensions": {
    "sheet": {
     "height": 0.264,
     "width": 0.284
    }
   },
   "state_of_the_work": null,
   "edition_of_the_work": null,
   "creditline": "The Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund",
   "copyright": null,
   "inscriptions": [],
   "exhibitions": {
    "current": [],
    "legacy": [
     "Main Asian Rotation (Gallery 122); March 4, 2003 - July 23, 2003."
    ]
   },
   "provenance": [],
   "find_spot": null,
   "related_works": [],
   "description": "This album of landscape paintings depicts the famous scenic areas located in and around the city of Wuxing in southeastern China. The artist, Song Xu, was not a native of that city, but must have visited it when he accepted the commission, for he carefully depicted all eighteen views and wrote comments on each of them. These places were all known for their natural beauty, but in addition, a number were distingusihed by their links to eminent historical figures and events. Unlike other artists of his time, Song Xu favored a painting style that was technically polished and focused attention on specific, realistic details. Such an approach was well suited to projects like this one, for which the artist was in great demand.",
   "did_you_know": null,
   "citations": [
    {
     "citation": "Cleveland Museum of Art, Ju-hsi Chou, and Anita Chung. Silent poetry: Chinese paintings from the collection of the Cleveland Museum of Art. 2015.",
     "page_number": "287-295",
     "url": null
    }
   ],
   "catalogue_raisonne": null,
   "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1998.78.14",
   "images": {
    "web": {
     "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1998.78.14/1998.78.14_web.jpg",
     "filename": "1998.78.14_web.jpg",
     "filesize": "718224",
     "width": "956",
     "height": "893"
    },
    "print": {
     "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1998.78.14/1998.78.14_print.jpg",
     "filename": "1998.78.14_print.jpg",
     "filesize": "10933890",
     "width": "3400",
     "height": "3177"
    },
    "full": {
     "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1998.78.14/1998.78.14_full.tif",
     "filename": "1998.78.14_full.tif",
     "filesize": "77605796",
     "width": "5260",
     "height": "4916"
    }
   },
   "updated_at": "2019-01-22 14:39:18.064000"
  }
 ]
}

More Example Requests

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?artists=picasso&created_after_age=30&nazi_era_provenance

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?cia_alumni_artists&african_american_artists

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?female_artists&recently_acquired&created_before_age=25

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?q=sword&dimensions=1

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/?q=chair&dimensions_max=.1,.1,.1

GET Artwork (Specific)

Get a specific artwork record by id parameter, which can be the artwork’s Athena id or accession number

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/{id}

Parameters

Name Type Description
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks/1953.424?indent=1

Example Response

{
 "data": {
  "id": 130707,
  "accession_number": "1953.424",
  "share_license_status": "CC0",
  "tombstone": "Head of Saint John the Baptist, c. 1550-1650. Spain or Northern Italy, mid 16th - mid 17th century. Oil on canvas; framed: 80.6 x 104.8 x 7.6 cm (31 3/4 x 41 1/4 x 3 in.); unframed: 50 x 75.2 cm (19 11/16 x 29 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1953.424",
  "current_location": "118 Italian Renaissance",
  "title": "Head of Saint John the Baptist",
  "title_in_original_language": null,
  "series": null,
  "series_in_original_language": null,
  "creation_date": "c. 1550-1650",
  "creation_date_earliest": 1550,
  "creation_date_latest": 1650,
  "creators": [],
  "culture": [
   "Spain or Northern Italy, mid 16th - mid 17th century"
  ],
  "technique": "oil on canvas",
  "support_materials": [],
  "department": "European Painting and Sculpture",
  "collection": "P - Italian 16th & 17th Century",
  "type": "Painting",
  "measurements": "Framed: 80.6 x 104.8 x 7.6 cm (31 3/4 x 41 1/4 x 3 in.); Unframed: 50 x 75.2 cm (19 11/16 x 29 5/8 in.)",
  "dimensions": {
   "framed": {
    "height": 0.806,
    "width": 1.048,
    "depth": 0.076
   },
   "unframed": {
    "height": 0.5,
    "width": 0.752
   }
  },
  "state_of_the_work": null,
  "edition_of_the_work": null,
  "creditline": "Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund",
  "copyright": null,
  "inscriptions": [
   {
    "inscription": "Inscription of ribbon entwining the reed cross: ECCE AGNUS DEI",
    "inscription_translation": null,
    "inscription_remark": null
   }
  ],
  "exhibitions": {
   "current": [
    {
     "title": "The Venetian Tradition",
     "description": "The Venetian Tradition. The Cleveland Museum of Art (November 8, 1956-January 1, 1957).",
     "opening_date": "1956-11-08T05:00:00"
    }
   ],
   "legacy": [
    "Vienna, Sezesion (second exhibition by the Verein der Museumfreunde), 1924: \"Meisterwerker Italienischer Renaissance Kunst aus Privtbesitz,\" cat. no. 112. 
Venice, Palazo P\u00e9saro, 1935: \"Mostra di Tiziano,\" cat. no. 63 (catalogue by Gino Fogliari).
CMA, 1956: \"The Venetian Tradition,\" cat. no. 22, pl. IX. (Catalogue by Henry S Francis)." ] }, "provenance": [ { "description": "[Alessandro Brass, Venice], sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1953.", "citations": [], "footnotes": null, "date": null } ], "find_spot": null, "related_works": [], "description": "Salome\u2019s dancing so pleased her stepfather Herod that he offered her anything she wanted. Her mother advised Salome to demand John the Baptist\u2019s head, which Salome presented to her family in an elaborate dish. Here, the head stands on its own, with a startlingly tangible presence. Despite its biblical source, this work was meant for a domestic setting, whose owner would have admired the artful presentation of a shocking story. Acquired in 1953 as the work of the Venetian Renaissance artist Titian, the painting soon lost this attribution because it lacks Titian\u2019s distinctive brushwork. After decades of research, the museum has yet to identify a clear author. Recently, several scholars have argued persuasively for a Spanish artist, partly because the subject is common in Spanish art in the early 1600s. Yet the color scheme and the handling of paint in the face recalls the work of earlier artists inspired by Titian in northern Italy.", "did_you_know": null, "citations": [ { "citation": "The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1966. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1966.", "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 97", "url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1966#page=121" }, { "citation": "The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1969. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1969.", "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 97", "url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1969#page=121" }, { "citation": "The Cleveland Museum of Art. Handbook of the Cleveland Museum of Art/1978. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1978.", "page_number": "Reproduced: p. 111", "url": "https://archive.org/details/CMAHandbook1978#page=131" }, { "citation": "The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Catalogue of Paintings, Part 3: European Paintings of the 16th, 17th, and 18th Centuries. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1982.", "page_number": "Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 442", "url": null } ], "catalogue_raisonne": null, "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1953.424", "images": { "web": { "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1953.424/1953.424_web.jpg", "filename": "1953.424_web.jpg", "filesize": "724828", "width": "1263", "height": "830" }, "print": { "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1953.424/1953.424_print.jpg", "filename": "1953.424_print.jpg", "filesize": "5897752", "width": "3400", "height": "2235" }, "full": { "url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1953.424/1953.424_full.tif", "filename": "1953.424_full.tif", "filesize": "72441096", "width": "6060", "height": "3983" } }, "updated_at": "2019-01-22 14:37:34.138000" } }
GET Creators (Search)

Get a list of creators and their associated metadata and artworks based on a search terms.

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/

Parameters

Name Type Description
name string Filter by matches or partial matches to the name of any creator.
biography string Filter by a keyword in creator biography.
nationality string Filter by a keyword in creator nationality, e.g. 'French'.
birth_year integer Filter by exact match on creator's birth year.
birth_year_after integer Filter by creators born after a certain year.
birth_year_before integer Filter by creators born before a certain year.
death_year integer Filter by exact match on creator's death year.
death_year_after integer Filter by creators who have died after a certain year.
death_year_before integer Filter by creators who have died before a certain year.
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.
skip integer Offset index for results.
limit integer Limit for number of results. If no limit provided, API will return the maximum (100) number of records.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/?name=smith&birth_year_after=1900&limit=1&indent=1

Example Response

{
 "info": {
  "total": 21,
  "parameters": {
   "name": "smith",
   "birth_year_after": "1900",
   "limit": "1",
   "indent": "1"
  }
 },
 "data": [
  {
   "created_at": "2020-11-04 19:01:09.608000",
   "updated_at": "2020-11-04 22:36:25.316000",
   "name": "William E. Smith",
   "nationality": "American",
   "description": "William E. Smith (American, 1913-1997)",
   "biography": "A highly skilled printmaker, William Elijah Smith specialized in genre scenes of working-class African-American life in Cleveland. Born in Chattanooga, Smith moved to Cleveland at the age of 13 and became involved with Karamu House, learning print making and stage design. He studied art at the Huntington Polytechnic Institute, 1933\u201334. During this time he began teaching at Karamu House and continued to do so until 1940. In 1941 he won the art competition for presenting one of his prints to the Library of Congress for its permanent collection. Smith exhibited at the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts in Hartford (1935), in the annual May Shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1936\u2013 49), at the Associated American Artists Galleries of New York (1942), and at Atlanta University (1942). During World War II, he served as a photographer in the army\u2019s educational department. After the war, he returned to Cleveland and established a commercial silkscreening studio. In 1946 the Lyman Brothers\u2019 Gallery in Indianapolis mounted his first solo exhibition. From 1946 to 1948 he studied painting and printmaking at the Cleveland School of Art and the Cooper School of Art. In the late 1940s Smith moved to Los Angeles, where he associated with Curtis Tann, a former colleague from Karamu House. With Tann, Smith cofounded the Eleven Associated Artists Gallery, the first Los Angeles gallery devoted specifically to African art. In 1952 Smith was hired to work as a blueprint draftsman at Lockheed Aircraft, beginning a long association with the corporation. In 1960 he cofounded Art West Associated, an African-American artists\u2019 advocacy organization in Los Angeles. In 1970 he published illustrations of subjects from African-American history for Cleveland\u2019s New Day Press. Smith\u2019 s works were displayed ins numerous group exhibitions in the Los Angeles area (1960s\u201380s).
Transformations in Cleveland Art. (CMA, 1996), p. 238", "birth_year": "1913", "death_year": "1997", "id": 7978, "artworks": [ { "id": 117264, "accession_number": "1937.83", "title": "Mother and Baby", "tombstone": "Mother and Baby, c. 1936. William E. Smith (American, 1913-1997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1937.83", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1937.83" }, { "id": 119964, "accession_number": "1940.76", "title": "Sharecropper", "tombstone": "Sharecropper, 1940. William E. Smith (American, 1913-1997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1940.76", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1940.76" }, { "id": 120267, "accession_number": "1941.122", "title": "My Son! My Son!", "tombstone": "My Son! My Son!, 1941. William E. Smith (American, 1913-1997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1941.122", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1941.122" }, { "id": 122977, "accession_number": "1943.244", "title": "Siesta", "tombstone": "Siesta, 1943. William E. Smith (American, 1913-1997). Linoleum cut; platemark: 22.8 x 20.4 cm (9 x 8 1/16 in.); sheet: 27.7 x 21.7 cm (10 7/8 x 8 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1943.244", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1943.244" } ] } ] }

More Example Requests

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/?nationality=french&birth_year_before=1940

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/?biography=brooklyn&limit=10

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/?death_year_before=1974&limit=10

GET Creator (Specific)

Get a specific creator record by id parameter.

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/{id}

Parameters

Name Type Description
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/creators/7978?indent=1

Example Response

{
 "data": {
  "name": "William E. Smith",
  "nationality": "American",
  "description": "William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997)",
  "biography": "A highly skilled printmaker, William Elijah Smith specialized in genre scenes of working-class African-American life in Cleveland. Born in Chattanooga, Smith moved to Cleveland at the age of 13 and became involved with Karamu House, learning print making and stage design. He studied art at the Huntington Polytechnic Institute, 1933\u201334. During this time he began teaching at Karamu House and continued to do so until 1940. In 1941 he won the art competition for presenting one of his prints to the Library of Congress for its permanent collection. Smith exhibited at the Connecticut Academy of Fine Arts in Hartford (1935), in the annual May Shows at the Cleveland Museum of Art (1936\u2013 49), at the Associated American Artists Galleries of New York (1942), and at Atlanta University (1942). During World War II, he served as a photographer in the army\u2019s educational department. After the war, he returned to Cleveland and established a commercial silkscreening studio. In 1946 the Lyman Brothers\u2019 Gallery in Indianapolis mounted his first solo exhibition. From 1946 to 1948 he studied painting and printmaking at the Cleveland School of Art and the Cooper School of Art. In the late 1940s Smith moved to Los Angeles, where he associated with Curtis Tann, a former colleague from Karamu House. With Tann, Smith cofounded the Eleven Associated Artists Gallery, the first Los Angeles gallery devoted specifically to African art. In 1952 Smith was hired to work as a blueprint draftsman at Lockheed Aircraft, beginning a long association with the corporation. In 1960 he cofounded Art West Associated, an African-American artists\u2019 advocacy organization in Los Angeles. In 1970 he published illustrations of subjects from African-American history for Cleveland\u2019s New Day Press. Smith\u2019 s works were displayed ins numerous group exhibitions in the Los Angeles area (1960s\u201380s).
Transformations in Cleveland Art. (CMA, 1996), p. 238", "birth_year": "1913", "death_year": "1997", "id": 7978, "artworks": [ { "id": 117264, "accession_number": "1937.83", "title": "Mother and Baby", "tombstone": "Mother and Baby, c. 1936. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1937.83", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1937.83" }, { "id": 119964, "accession_number": "1940.76", "title": "Sharecropper", "tombstone": "Sharecropper, 1940. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1940.76", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1940.76" }, { "id": 120267, "accession_number": "1941.122", "title": "My Son! My Son!", "tombstone": "My Son! My Son!, 1941. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linoleum cut; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1941.122", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1941.122" }, { "id": 122977, "accession_number": "1943.244", "title": "Siesta", "tombstone": "Siesta, 1940. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linoleum cut; platemark: 22.8 x 20.4 cm (9 x 8 1/16 in.); sheet: 27.7 x 21.7 cm (10 7/8 x 8 9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1943.244", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1943.244" }, { "id": 454849, "accession_number": "2022.56", "title": "Little Joy", "tombstone": "Little Joy, 1940. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linocut; platemark: 22.7 x 17.5 cm (8 15/16 x 6 7/8 in.); sheet: 28.6 x 23.4 cm (11 1/4 x 9 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2022.56", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.56" }, { "id": 454850, "accession_number": "2022.53", "title": "Leaning Chimneys", "tombstone": "Leaning Chimneys, 1938. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linocut; platemark: 24.4 x 29.5 cm (9 5/8 x 11 5/8 in.); sheet: 30.4 x 40.6 cm (11 15/16 x 16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2022.53", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.53" }, { "id": 454851, "accession_number": "2022.55", "title": "I've Known Rivers", "tombstone": "I've Known Rivers, 1941. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linocut; platemark: 21.7 x 21.7 cm (8 9/16 x 8 9/16 in.); sheet: 40.7 x 30.4 cm (16 x 11 15/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2022.55", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.55" }, { "id": 454852, "accession_number": "2022.57", "title": "Politics", "tombstone": "Politics, 1940. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linocut; platemark: 23.1 x 17.3 cm (9 1/8 x 6 13/16 in.); sheet: 29.5 x 24.1 cm (11 5/8 x 9 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2022.57", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.57" }, { "id": 534895, "accession_number": "2022.251", "title": "Pay Day", "tombstone": "Pay Day, 1938. William E. Smith (American, 1913\u20131997). Linocut; image: 20.3 x 15.1 cm (8 x 5 15/16 in.); sheet: 26.9 x 21.9 cm (10 9/16 x 8 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, The Jane B. Tripp Charitable Lead Annuity Trust 2022.251", "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.251" } ] } }
GET exhibitions (Search)

Get a list of exhibitions and associated metadata and image links based on a search term.

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/exhibitions/

Parameters

Name Type Description
closed_after date Filter exhibitions closed after a certain data. (date in YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 1974-01-01)
closed_before date Filter exhibitions closed before a certain data. (date in YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 1974-01-01)
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.
include_artworks boolean Whether to include artwork stub records for accessioned artworks (ONLY) in response. This defaults to FALSE because it’s an expensive secondary DB query.
limit integer Limit for number of results. If no limit provided, API will return the maximum (100) number of records.
opened_after date Filter exhibitions opened after a certain data. (date in YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 1974-01-01)
opened_before date Filter exhibitions opened before a certain data. (date in YYYY-MM-DD format, e.g. 1974-01-01)
organizer string Filter by exhibition organizer.
skip integer Offset index for results.
title string Filter by matches or partial matches to the title of an exhibition.
venue string Filter by exhibitioned opened in certain venues.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/exhibitions/?title=picasso&venue=cleveland&opened_after=2000-01-01&limit=1

Example Response

{
 "info": {
  "total": 4,
  "parameters": {
   "title": "picasso",
   "venue": "cleveland",
   "opened_after": "2000-01-01",
   "limit": "1",
   "indent": "1"
  }
 },
 "data": [
  {
   "created_at": "2020-11-04 19:00:40.600000",
   "updated_at": "2020-11-04 22:30:57.320000",
   "title": "Barcelona & Modernity: Picasso, Gaud\u00ed, Mir\u00f3, Dal\u00ed (1868-1939)",
   "description": null,
   "organizer": "The Cleveland Museum of Art",
   "opening_date": "2006-10-15 00:00:00",
   "closing_date": "2007-06-03 00:00:00",
   "venues": [
    {
     "venue_id": 174789,
     "name": "The Metropolitan Museum of Art",
     "start_date": "2007-03-04 00:00:00",
     "end_date": "2007-06-03 00:00:00"
    },
    {
     "venue_id": 4712,
     "name": "The Cleveland Museum of Art",
     "start_date": "2006-10-15 00:00:00",
     "end_date": "2007-01-07 00:00:00"
    }
   ],
   "id": 206339,
   "artworks": [
    {
     "id": 124245,
     "accession_number": "1945.24",
     "title": "La Vie",
     "tombstone": "La Vie, 1903. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Oil on canvas; framed: 239 x 170 x 10 cm (94 1/8 x 66 15/16 x 3 15/16 in.); unframed: 196.5 x 129.2 cm (77 3/8 x 50 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of the Hanna Fund 1945.24 \u00a9 Estate of Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1945.24"
    },
    {
     "id": 127208,
     "accession_number": "1949.527",
     "title": "Mother and Child",
     "tombstone": "Mother and Child, 1921. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Pencil on paper; sheet: 24.8 x 32.1 cm (9 3/4 x 12 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis B. Williams Collection 1949.527 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1949.527"
    },
    {
     "id": 132416,
     "accession_number": "1954.865",
     "title": "Reclining Nude (Fernande)",
     "tombstone": "Reclining Nude (Fernande), 1906. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Watercolor and gouache, with graphite and possibly charcoal; sheet: 47.3 x 61.3 cm (18 5/8 x 24 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Straight 1954.865 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.865"
    },
    {
     "id": 135434,
     "accession_number": "1958.43",
     "title": "Head of a Boy",
     "tombstone": "Head of a Boy, 1905-6. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Opaque matte paint, possibly tempera; sheet: 24.6 x 18.6 cm (9 11/16 x 7 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.43 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York\r\n",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1958.43"
    },
    {
     "id": 135456,
     "accession_number": "1958.45",
     "title": "The Harem ",
     "tombstone": "The Harem , 1906. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Oil on canvas; framed: 174 x 130.5 x 11.4 cm (68 1/2 x 51 3/8 x 4 1/2 in.); unframed: 154.3 x 110 cm (60 3/4 x 43 5/16 in.); former: 163.2 x 120 x 6.1 cm (64 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 2 3/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.45 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1958.45"
    },
    {
     "id": 142653,
     "accession_number": "1966.377",
     "title": "The Artist's Sister Lola ",
     "tombstone": "The Artist's Sister Lola , 1899-1900. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Oil on canvas; framed: 62.5 x 54 x 8 cm (24 5/8 x 21 1/4 x 3 1/8 in.); unframed: 46.7 x 37.5 cm (18 3/8 x 14 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. David S. Ingalls 1966.377 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1966.377"
    },
    {
     "id": 147390,
     "accession_number": "1973.137.4",
     "title": "Dream and Lie of Franco:  (January 9, 1937)",
     "tombstone": "Dream and Lie of Franco:  (January 9, 1937), 1937. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Etching and aquatint; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1973.137.4 \u00a9 2006 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1973.137.4"
    },
    {
     "id": 147391,
     "accession_number": "1973.137.5",
     "title": "Dream and Lie of Franco:  (January 8, 1937)",
     "tombstone": "Dream and Lie of Franco:  (January 8, 1937), 1937. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Etching and aquatint; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of The Print Club of Cleveland 1973.137.5 \u00a9 2006 Estate of Pablo Picasso/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York (Cleveland only).",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1973.137.5"
    },
    {
     "id": 149408,
     "accession_number": "1978.61",
     "title": "Nocturne",
     "tombstone": "Nocturne, 1935. Joan Mir\u00f3 (Spanish, 1893-1983). Oil on copper; framed: 62.2 x 48.8 x 5.1 cm (24 1/2 x 19 3/16 x 2 in.); unframed: 42 x 29.2 cm (16 9/16 x 11 1/2 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund 1978.61 \u00a9 2006 Successi\u00f3 Mir\u00f3/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1978.61"
    },
    {
     "id": 150110,
     "accession_number": "1980.32",
     "title": "Pensive Face",
     "tombstone": "Pensive Face, 1929. Julio Gonz\u00e1lez (Spanish, 1876-1942). Iron mounted on painted wood; framed: 34.9 x 30.5 x 8.3 cm (13 3/4 x 12 x 3 1/4 in.); overall: 24.5 x 19.7 cm (9 5/8 x 7 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Ralph King, by exchange 1980.32 \u00a9 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1980.32"
    },
    {
     "id": 150459,
     "accession_number": "1981.25",
     "title": "Black and Red Series: Plate 4",
     "tombstone": "Black and Red Series: Plate 4, 1938. Joan Mir\u00f3 (Spanish, 1893-1983). Drypoint printed in red and black; image: 16.8 x 25.8 cm (6 5/8 x 10 3/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequests of Charles T. Brooks and Grover Higgins by exchange 1981.25 \u00a9 Successi\u00f3 Mir\u00f3 / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1981.25"
    },
    {
     "id": 152776,
     "accession_number": "1985.57",
     "title": "Bull Skull, Fruit, Pitcher",
     "tombstone": "Bull Skull, Fruit, Pitcher, 1939. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Oil on canvas; framed: 85.7 x 117.2 x 7 cm (33 3/4 x 46 1/8 x 2 3/4 in.); unframed: 65 x 92 cm (25 9/16 x 36 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund 1985.57 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1985.57"
    },
    {
     "id": 162080,
     "accession_number": "2001.34",
     "title": "The Dream",
     "tombstone": "The Dream, 1931. Salvador Dal\u00ed (Spanish, 1904-1989). Oil on canvas; framed: 120 x 120 x 7.7 cm (47 1/4 x 47 1/4 x 3 1/16 in.); unframed: 96 x 96 cm (37 13/16 x 37 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 2001.34 \u00a9 Salvador Dali, Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2001.34"
    },
    {
     "id": 173643,
     "accession_number": "1932.719",
     "title": "Nude, Study for The Harem (Woman Washing Herself)",
     "tombstone": "Nude, Study for The Harem (Woman Washing Herself), 1905. Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881-1973). Watercolor; unframed: 63.6 x 48.3 cm (25 1/16 x 19 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Hinman B. Hurlbut Collection 1932.719 \u00a9 Estate of  Pablo Picasso / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York",
     "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1932.719"
    }
   ]
  }
 ]
}
GET Exhibition (Specific)

Get a specific exhibition record by id parameter.

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/exhibitions/{id}

Parameters

Name Type Description
indent integer Number of spaces to indent JSON content if "pretty" formatting is desired.
include_artworks boolean Whether to include artwork stub records for accessioned artworks (ONLY) in response. This defaults to FALSE because it’s an expensive secondary DB query.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/exhibitions/453138?indent=1

Example Response

{
 "data": {
  "id": 453138,
  "title": "Riemenschneider and Late Medieval Alabaster",
  "description": null,
  "organizer": "The Cleveland Museum of Art",
  "opening_date": "2023-03-26T04:00:00",
  "closing_date": "2023-07-23T04:00:00",
  "venues": [
   {
    "venue_id": 4712,
    "name": "The Cleveland Museum of Art",
    "start_date": "2023-03-26T04:00:00",
    "end_date": "2023-07-23T04:00:00"
   }
  ],
  "artworks": [
   {
    "id": 106123,
    "accession_number": "1924.224",
    "title": "Virgin and Child with an Apple",
    "tombstone": "Virgin and Child with an Apple, c. 1475. Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450\u20131491). Engraving; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Ralph King 1924.224",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1924.224"
   },
   {
    "id": 119132,
    "accession_number": "1940.128",
    "title": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364\u20131404)",
    "tombstone": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364\u20131404), 1404\u20131410. Claus de Werve (Netherlandish, 1380\u20131439). Vizille alabaster; overall: 41.7 x 16.6 x 11.7 cm (16 7/16 x 6 9/16 x 4 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1940.128",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1940.128"
   },
   {
    "id": 119143,
    "accession_number": "1940.129",
    "title": "Mourner from the Tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria",
    "tombstone": "Mourner from the Tomb of John the Fearless and Margaret of Bavaria, 1443\u201345. Jean de la Huerta (Spanish, active Burgundy, 1431\u201362). Salins alabaster; overall: 41 x 20.3 x 12.4 cm (16 1/8 x 8 x 4 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1940.129",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1940.129"
   },
   {
    "id": 125103,
    "accession_number": "1946.82",
    "title": "Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt)",
    "tombstone": "Saint Jerome and the Lion (From the former Church of St. Peter in Erfurt), c. 1495. Tilman Riemenschneider (German, active W\u00fcrzburg, c. 1460\u20131531). Alabaster, traces of polychromy; overall: 37.8 x 28.1 x 15.9 cm (14 7/8 x 11 1/16 x 6 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1946.82",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1946.82"
   },
   {
    "id": 131814,
    "accession_number": "1954.387",
    "title": "The Archangel Gabriel from an Annunciation Group",
    "tombstone": "The Archangel Gabriel from an Annunciation Group, c. 1350. France, Champagne. Alabaster with traces of paint and gilding; overall: 56.5 x 26 x 10.5 cm (22 1/4 x 10 1/4 x 4 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1954.387",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1954.387"
   },
   {
    "id": 135140,
    "accession_number": "1958.173",
    "title": "The Angel of the Annunciation\r\n",
    "tombstone": "The Angel of the Annunciation\r\n, c. 1470\u201375. Martin Schongauer (German, c.1450\u20131491). Engraving; The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund 1958.173",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1958.173"
   },
   {
    "id": 135538,
    "accession_number": "1958.66",
    "title": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364-1404)",
    "tombstone": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364-1404), 1404\u201310. Claus de Werve (Netherlandish, 1380\u20131439). Vizille alabaster; overall: 41 x 12.7 x 15 cm (16 1/8 x 5 x 5 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.66",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1958.66"
   },
   {
    "id": 135539,
    "accession_number": "1958.67",
    "title": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364\u20131404)",
    "tombstone": "Mourner from the Tomb of Philip the Bold, Duke of Burgundy (1364\u20131404), 1404\u201310. Claus de Werve (Netherlandish, 1380\u20131439). Vizille alabaster; overall: 41.1 x 17.6 x 11 cm (16 3/16 x 6 15/16 x 4 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Bequest of Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. 1958.67",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1958.67"
   },
   {
    "id": 166195,
    "accession_number": "2008.145",
    "title": "Enthroned Virgin and Child",
    "tombstone": "Enthroned Virgin and Child, c. 1480. Gil de Silo\u00e9 (Spanish, active c. 1475\u20131505). Alabaster with traces of gilding and polychromy; overall: 31.5 x 22.5 x 16 cm (12 3/8 x 8 7/8 x 6 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, John L. Severance Fund 2008.145",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2008.145"
   },
   {
    "id": 453144,
    "accession_number": "2022.41",
    "title": "Two Standing Apostles (probably Saint John the Evangelist and St. Paul)",
    "tombstone": "Two Standing Apostles (probably Saint John the Evangelist and St. Paul), c. 1430. Master of the Saint-Omer Apostles (Southern Netherlandish, active Bruges?). Alabaster; overall: 23.7 x 9.3 x 5.8 cm (9 5/16 x 3 11/16 x 2 5/16 in.); overall: 23.7 x 10.2 x 5.9 cm (9 5/16 x 4 x 2 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2022.41",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.41"
   },
   {
    "id": 453145,
    "accession_number": "2022.41.2",
    "title": "Standing Apostle (Saint Paul?)",
    "tombstone": "Standing Apostle (Saint Paul?), c. 1430. Master of the Saint-Omer Apostles (Southern Netherlandish, active Bruges?). Alabaster; overall: 23.7 x 9.3 x 5.8 cm (9 5/16 x 3 11/16 x 2 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2022.41.2",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.41.2"
   },
   {
    "id": 453146,
    "accession_number": "2022.41.1",
    "title": "Standing Apostle (Probably Saint John the Evangelist)",
    "tombstone": "Standing Apostle (Probably Saint John the Evangelist), c. 1430. Master of the Saint-Omer Apostles (Southern Netherlandish, active Bruges?). Alabaster; overall: 23.7 x 10.2 x 5.9 cm (9 5/16 x 4 x 2 5/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund 2022.41.1",
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/2022.41.1"
   }
  ],
  "links": [],
  "gallery_views_urls": null,
  "press_release_urls": null,
  "catalog_urls": null
 }
}

Collection Online Endpoints

In addition to the RESTful endpoints above, there are 3 additional endpoints that are used by the CMA Collection Online to link directly to data and images in certain formats for CC0-designated artworks. Strictly speaking, these endpoints weren't intended to be used independently of the Collection Online, but are included here for completeness.

GET JPEG and Caption

Return the print- and web-resolution images, as well as a text file containing the caption or "tombstone" information for the artwork. This is accomplished by pulling the tombstone and image urls directly from the API database, writing them to a zipfile, and returning it in the API response.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/collectiononline/jpeg_and_caption/1974.1

GET High-Resolution TIFF

Return the high-resolution TIFF of the artwork. This simply redirects the user to the TIFF location in the CDN.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/collectiononline/tiff/1974.1

GET Metadata Only

Return a formatted plain-text file with all the API data for the artwork. This is accomplished by pulling all artwork data directly from the API database, putting it into human-readable format via a Jinja template, and returning as a text-file.

Example Request

https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/collectiononline/metadata/1974.1

Appendix A: Artwork Response Fields

Field Description
id ID in AthenaCCMS.
accession_number Accession number.
share_license_status CC0, Copyrighted, or Other.
tombstone Aggregated information about the artwork.
current_location Computed location field of the current gallery location.
title Title in English.
title_in_original_language Original language title.
series Title of series (if applicable).
series_in_original_language Title of series in original language (if applicable.)
creation_date Creation date; negative, print, date of duplication. NOTE: this is a string and other creation dates are integers, because this could be not strictly numeric, e.g., "1690-1693".
creation_date_earliest Earliest date that the work could have been completed.
creation_date_latest Latest date that the work could have been completed.
creators Name of artist, culture, firm, etc OR Nationality or culture area (Mesoamerica, Andes, etc.), including ethnic origin or affiliation and race.
Includes: Extent (printed by, designed by)
Qualifier (attributed to, workshop of, follower of)
Role (printer, painter, goldsmith)
Artist Biography
Name in original language
culture Place name important to the work or the creator, including geographic sub-regions (e.g., North Coast, South Coast, Plains, Arctic, Siena, Beijing, Rift Valley) OR Period or phase name, when relevant (e.g., Early Horizon, Formative Period).
technique Technique Name (e.g., cut glass, lithograph; for textiles, woven, embroidered, printed). Inkjet prints: brands and model numbers of printer and of ink or pigment; brand of paper OR Type of Work (e.g., refectory table, altarpiece, portfolio, drinking vessel, rhyton, boudoir photograph, hand scroll, hanging scroll, album or manuscript leaf, etc.).
support_materials Name of support or ground material, when relevant (laid paper, canvas, board, etc.)
Includes watermarks, if applicable.
department Curatorial area of collection.
collection Subset of Curatorial area of collection.
type Classification of Work (e.g., furniture, painting, drawing, etc).
measurements Full set of the artwork’s dimensions, including height, width, depth, circumference, weight, length of time; includes framed/matted dimensions and image size (for prints and photos.
dimensions A more granular dictionary of a work's dimensions, encompassing all relevant measured aspects. All measurements in meters.
state_of_the_work State of the work.
edition_of_the_work Edition of the work.
creditline Ownership and credit line.
copyright Copyright statement, if any.
inscriptions Signature or maker’s mark related to origin or accompanying dealer tags and labels. Includes translation and remarks, if applicable.
exhibitions Exhibition history and loans, any public display of the work at CMA or elsewhere, including online presentation, current and legacy. 'Current' refers to information pulled from currently-maintained, well-formed data (includes opening date, title, description). 'Legacy' refers to any additional archival exhibition history that has been discovered.
provenance Ownership history date and description, plus footnotes and citations where applicable.
find_spot geographic location where the work was excavated or discovered.
related_works Related works, such as design drawings and series (CMA collection), including relationship and description where applicable.
did_you_know Short, memorable fact or perspective on the work.
description Short description of the work intended for digital publications or an approved label text for gallery installations.
citations Textual references, both in full and brief citations  (e.g., Millon, Baroque Architecture, 1961), including published bibliographic materials, web sites, archival documents, unpublished manuscripts, and verbal opinions.
catalogue_raisonne Identifier of the artist's catalogue raisonné (a definitive, annotated catalogue of an artist's work).
url Link to artwork on CMA website
images Records for web, print, and full size image assets of the work. Includes url, filesize, filename, and dimensions.
Image specifications:
  • web: 900px at longest side, 300 dpi, jpeg format
  • print: 3400px at longest side, 300 dpi, jpeg format
  • original: variable dimensions and dpi, tiff format
alternate_images Records for web, print, and full size image assets for alternate views of the work. Includes url, filesize, filename, and dimensions.
Image specifications:
  • web: 900px at longest side, 300 dpi, jpeg format
  • print: 3400px at longest side, 300 dpi, jpeg format
  • original: variable dimensions and dpi, tiff format
sketchfab_id ID of the 3D model on Sketchfab (if available).
sketchfab_url URL to access the 3D model on Sketchfab (if available).
updated_at Timestamp for when the artwork record was last updated in the API database.
legal_status Legal contract status, e.g., "accessioned" or "long-term loan"
accession_date Date the work was accessioned.
sortable_date The +/- creation year value of an artwork.
date_text Computed description of creation date.
collapse_artists A value calculated in the API based on number of creators and certain other criteria that determines how multiple artists are displayed on front-end.
on_loan Whether artwork is a long-term loan.
recently_acquired Whether the artwork was accessioned within the last 3 years.
record_type
  • cover: record for an artwork that has multiple parts and/or components.
  • part: record for a part of an artwork that couldn't be considered as its own work.
  • component: record for a component of an artwork that could be considered its own work.
  • object: record for an artwork that doesn't relate to parts or components and is a singular work.
See also cover_accession_number.
cover_accession_number The accession number of the cover record if the artwork is of record_type "part" or "component".
conservation_statement The conservation statement of the work.
is_nazi_era_provenance Artwork is of nazi-era provenance.
impression Impression number of the addition.
alternate_titles A list of alternate titles of the work.
is_highlight Artwork is marked as a featured highlight.
current_exhibition Info on current CMA exhibition featuring this artwork, if any. Dictionary will contain:
  • id
  • title
  • start_date
  • end_date

Appendix B: Departments

African Art American Painting and Sculpture Art of the Americas
Chinese Art Contemporary Art Decorative Art and Design
Drawings Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art European Painting and Sculpture
Greek and Roman Art Indian and South East Asian Art Islamic Art
Japanese Art Korean Art Medieval Art
Modern European Painting and Sculpture Oceania Performing Arts, Music, & Film
Photography Prints Textiles

Appendix C: Types

Amulets Apparatus Arms and Armor
Basketry Book Binding Bound Volume
Calligraphy Carpet Ceramic
Coins Cosmetic Objects Drawing
Embroidery Enamel Forgery
Frame Funerary Equipment Furniture and woodwork
Garment Glass Glyptic
Illumination Implements Inlays
Ivory Jade Jewelry
Knitting Lace Lacquer
Leather Linoleum Block Lithographic Stone
Manuscript Metalwork Miniature
Miscellaneous Mixed Media Monotype
Mosaic Musical Instrument Netsuke
Painting Papyri Photograph
Plaque Plate Portfolio
Portrait Miniature Print Relief
Rock crystal Rubbing Sampler
Scarabs Sculpture Seals
Silver Spindle Whorl Stencil
Stone Tapestry Textile
Time-based Media Tool Velvet
Vessels Wood Woodblock

Appendix D: Code Examples

The following are some basic examples in Python, Ruby, Node.js, and Go for querying the CMA Open Access API and printing a list of artwork tombstone and image information. In each example, the code grabs the first 10 artworks that match the keyword "monet".

Python

import json
import requests


def print_openaccess_results(keyword, skip=0, limit=100):
    url = "https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks"
    params = {
            'q': keyword,
            'skip': skip,
            'limit': limit,
            'has_image': 1
        }

    r = requests.get(url, params=params)

    data = r.json()

    for artwork in data['data']:
        tombstone = artwork['tombstone']
        image = artwork['images']['web']['url']

        print(f"{tombstone}\n{image}\n---")

if __name__ == '__main__':
    print_openaccess_results("monet", 0, 10)

Ruby

require 'net/http'
require 'json'


def print_openaccess_results(keyword, skip, limit)
    uri = URI("https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks")
    params = {
        :q => keyword,
        :skip => skip,
        :limit => limit,
        :has_image => 1
    }

    uri.query = URI.encode_www_form(params)

    resp = Net::HTTP.get_response(uri)

    JSON.parse(resp.body)['data'].each do |artwork|
        tombstone = artwork['tombstone']
        image = artwork['images']['web']['url']

        puts "#{tombstone}\n#{image}\n---"
    end
end

print_openaccess_results "monet", 0, 10

Node.js

const axios = require("axios");


const printOpenAccessResults = (keyword, skip, limit) => {
    const url = "https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks"
    const params = {
            q: keyword,
            skip: skip,
            limit: limit,
            has_image: 1
        };

    const resp = axios(url, {params})
        .then((resp) => {
            for (const artwork of resp.data.data) {
                const tombstone = artwork.tombstone;
                const image = artwork.images.web.url;

                console.log(`${tombstone}\n${image}\n---`);
            }
        })
        .catch((e) => {
            console.log("ERROR getting artwork data");
            console.log(e);
        });
}

printOpenAccessResults("monet", 0, 10);

Go

package main

import (
    "encoding/json"
    "fmt"
    "io/ioutil"
    "net/http"
)

type ParsedData struct {
    Artworks []struct {
        Tombstone string `json:"tombstone"`
        Images struct {
            Web struct {
                Url string `json:"url"`
            } `json:"web"`
        } `json:"images"`
    } `json:"data"`
}

func main() {
    apiUrl := "https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks"
    keyword := "monet"
    skip := "0"
    limit := "10"

    client := &http.Client{}
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", apiUrl, nil)

    q := req.URL.Query()
    q.Add("q", keyword)
    q.Add("skip", skip)
    q.Add("limit", limit)
    req.URL.RawQuery = q.Encode()

    resp, _ := client.Do(req)
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    data, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)

    var parsedData ParsedData
    err := json.Unmarshal([]byte(data), &parsedData)

    if err != nil {

    }

    artworks := parsedData.Artworks

    for _, artwork := range artworks {
        fmt.Println(artwork.Tombstone)
        fmt.Println(artwork.Images.Web.Url)
        fmt.Println("---")
    }
}

Appendix E: Image Similarity Search Code Example

Below is a simple Python code example demonstrating how to use the image similarity search functionality in the API.

import requests, json

def post_a_file(filepath, params={}):
    url = "https://openaccess-api.clevelandart.org/api/artworks"
    
    with open(filepath, 'rb') as f:
        file_data = {
            'file': f
        }
        r = requests.post(url, data=params, files=file_data)
    
    data = r.json()
    return data

def get_similar_images(filepath):
    data = post_a_file(filepath)
    
    for artwork in data['data']:
        print(artwork['accession_number'])
        print(artwork['images']['web']['url'])

if __name__ == '__main__':
    filepath = '/home/user/you_image.jpg' # replace with your file path
    
    get_similar_images(filepath)