Leaf & Spine

Design resources · updated daily

Free Public-Domain Art for Book Covers

Classic artworks you can put on a book cover without a licence fee: the Cleveland Museum of Art releases its public-domain images under CC0.

139artworks
100large enough for a 6 x 9 cover

Browse by theme

Autumn 6 artworks Birds 7 artworks Castle 7 artworks City 8 artworks Flowers 4 artworks Forest 7 artworks Garden 7 artworks Horse 7 artworks Landscape 8 artworks Moon 7 artworks Mountains 7 artworks Night 8 artworks Portrait 8 artworks Reading 7 artworks River 6 artworks Sea 8 artworks Ship 7 artworks Still Life 7 artworks Storm 6 artworks Winter 7 artworks

Recently added

Summer and Winter Landscapes Summer and Winter Landscapes Kano Naonobu (Japanese, 1607–1650)1600s Summer and Winter Landscapes (one of a pair) Summer and Winter Landscapes (one of a pair) Kano Naonobu (Japanese, 1607–1650)1600s Portrait of Isabella Brant Portrait of Isabella Brant Peter Paul Rubens (Flemish, 1577–1640)c. 1620–25 The White Path Between Two Rivers The White Path Between Two Rivers Unknown artist1200s Buddhist Retreat by Stream and Mountains Buddhist Retreat by Stream and Mountains Juran (Chinese, active 960–985)960–85 The two couples reach a foreign city where they make their home, from a Tuti-nama (Tales of a Parrot): Thirty-third Night The two couples reach a foreign city where they… Unknown artistc. 1560 Low Waterfall in a Wooded Landscape with a Dead Beech Tree Low Waterfall in a Wooded Landscape with a Dead… Jacob van Ruisdael (Dutch, 1628/29–1682)c. 1660–70 Flowers and Grasses Flowers and Grasses Kitagawa Sōsetsu (Japanese, active 1639–50)mid-1600s Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Kakinomoto no Hitomaro Unknown artistearly 1300s In the Waves (Dans les Vagues) In the Waves (Dans les Vagues) Paul Gauguin (French, 1848–1903)1889 Casually Created on a Spring Day Casually Created on a Spring Day Murase Taiitsu (Japanese, 1803–1881)c. 1825–81 Fir Trees and Storm Clouds Fir Trees and Storm Clouds Albert Bierstadt (American, born Prussia [now Germany]…c. 1870

Using public-domain art on a cover

  • Use the print-resolution file — 300 ppi at final size is the target (1,838 x 2,775 px for a 6 x 9 in front cover with bleed).
  • Most paintings are not 2:3; plan a crop or extend the background.
  • Crediting the museum and artist is courteous even when not required.
  • Check that the image is marked CC0; works still in copyright are not included here.

Sources & data