That security guard at the Denver art museum chased me out for taking photos of a painting

I was at the Denver Art Museum last Saturday taking a quick iPhone pic of a Rothko for reference, and this guard came over and said I had to delete it because of 'copyright concerns.' It's a public museum piece from the 1960s, not a private gallery. Does anyone else think this overreach just kills the whole point of making art accessible?

3 comments

3 Comments

luna_wright13d ago

The museum's policy is there because artists and their estates still hold reproduction rights on many works until they enter public domain, and a quick iPhone pic can easily end up on a merchandise website. Following the rules isn't overreach, it's basic respect for the creator's legal control over their own work.

vera_johnson913d ago

So if someone takes a photo purely for personal reference, not to sell, does that still cross the line for you? Because half the time people just want to remember the painting's colors or details for their own study. Feels like the rule is written broad to catch hypothetical bad actors while punishing everyone else.

markh8513d ago

Make sure to bring a sketchbook next time, @vera_johnson9, or just describe the painting to your neighbor later.