Art Institute of Chicago Screensaver
The Art Institute of Chicago screensaver shows real works from the Art Institute of Chicago's open-access collection, read key-less from its own API and shown full-frame with title, artist and date. It's free, runs in your browser, and ESC exits.
Live preview
Press ESC to leave fullscreen. Settings are saved in your browser only.
How the Art Institute of Chicago screensaver works
The saver reads Art Institute of Chicago directly in your browser — no key and no account.
Real works from the Art Institute of Chicago's open-access collection, read key-less from its own API and shown full-frame with title, artist and date..
It refreshes on a schedule, so what you see stays current.
Colours and the accent can be changed in settings; nothing is stored beyond your own browser.
About the Art Institute of Chicago's open data
The Art Institute of Chicago is a major US art museum. Its public API serves JSON data in a REST-style service and is the same API that powers the museum’s website. Records cover artworks with details such as title, artist and date, plus an image identifier that can be used with the museum’s IIIF image service to request a picture.
The screensaver shows works with open-access images. The museum offers more than 50,000 images of works in its collection that it believes are in the public domain under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) dedication, free for unrestricted use. It asks for a credit line but does not require one. Works that are still in copyright are not offered in the same way, so this is a subset of the collection rather than all of it.
Dates in museum records are often approximate, and attributions can change with scholarship. A record appearing in the catalogue does not mean the object is on display in a gallery. The slideshow samples catalogue records and cannot tell you what is currently on the walls.
A worked example
Real works from the Art Institute of Chicago's open-access collection, read key-less from its own API and shown full-frame with title, artist and date.
Settings & tips
- Accent and Background recolour the display.
- Data comes straight from Art Institute of Chicago in your browser.
- Press ESC to leave fullscreen.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this real data?
- Yes — it comes from Art Institute of Chicago and is refreshed on a schedule.
- Is a key needed?
- No. This source is fully key-less.
- Does it need an internet connection?
- Yes — it reads a live source, so it needs a connection to update.
- Is it free?
- Yes — free, no download, in your browser.
- Can I reuse the images?
- The museum releases images of works it believes are in the public domain under CC0, free for unrestricted use, and asks for a credit line without requiring one. Check the record for each item.
- Is every artwork here on display?
- No. The screensaver draws on catalogue records, so appearing in it does not mean a work is currently in a gallery.
- Why do some dates look like ranges?
- Museums record approximate dates when the exact year of creation is not known.