Art Copyright Question

[Sophia Furman]

Hi there all! I had a question around copyrights please that needs to be answered ASAP! If I was to do a book where it takes place in a museum, what are copyright laws and processes like for illustrating paintings in the museum (by old artists and new, like Monet). Would we need to pay, let's say, the Monet foundation a percentage, and if so how much approximately, and how willing are they to work with PB creators? Also, what is this process like when publishing in China? Thank you in advance!

[NessIllustration]

@Sophia-Furman Copyrighted works become public domain after a number of years after the creator passed away. The exact number of years depends on the country but it's around 100-150. Anything 250 years and older, you are for sure in the clear. For new works of art, things might be a lot more complicated. Your depiction might be considered parody (which is fair use) depending on what it is, but in general I think you'd need permission and might even have to pay a license. Since there are no shortage of old masters, you'd probably have an easier time sticking with older pieces

[Sophia Furman]

@NessIllustration Thank you so much, that is really very helpful! Sophia