From Marion Boddy-Evans,
Your Guide to Painting.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

A. If a painting is no longer under copyright, a colour transparency (and probably a digital scan of that transparency, though some scans have 'watermarks' which are copyrighted) is also not under copyright according to a 1998 case between the Bridgeman Art Library and Corel Corporation. (See also this Cornell summary.) It's important to check whether the original painting is out of copyright. If you paint a copy of an Old Master, it's good etiquette to write "after [artist's name]" so that the viewer knows the painter's origins.

Go to Full Artist's Copyright FAQ.

Disclaimer: The information given here is based on US copyright law and is given for guidance only; you're advised to consult a copyright lawyer on copyright issues.