# The Met Museum MCP for AI Agents AI Agent Connect > The Met Museum MCP lets you search over 470,000 artworks from the world's most famous art collection. You can find specific pieces by artist, culture, or date, and pull full metadata including high-resolution images. It's a direct line into a massive art history database without needing to juggle multiple tabs or hunt for open-access licenses. ## Overview - **Category:** knowledge-management - **Price:** Free - **Endpoint:** https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_WqxfVLzDHGLhpPE7r7BAHt1u9qmWyTHYq9nlFLLL/ai-agent-connect - **Tags:** art-history, cultural-heritage, metadata-search, digital-archives, museum-collections, image-retrieval ## Description Imagine you're deep in a research project about 19th-century European sculpture and you need to find specific dimensions or credit lines for dozens of pieces. Usually, that means dozens of browser tabs open and a lot of manual copying from different museum sites. This Connector changes that by letting your agent do the heavy lifting for you. You can ask for highlights from specific departments, find what's currently on view in the physical galleries, or hunt for CC0 images for a presentation. It turns a massive, static database into a conversational archive. Whether you're hunting for a specific Monet or just browsing the Egyptian Art collection, you get the data you need in one place. It's one of the many tools you can find in the Vinkius catalog to make your research feel less like a chore and more like a conversation. You can query the entire collection for specific dates, mediums, or cultural contexts without ever having to navigate a complex website interface. It's about getting the right data, when you need it, without the friction of manual data entry. You can even find artworks that are specifically licensed for public use, making it easier to gather visual assets for educational materials or digital archives. From Asian Art to Arms and Armor, the scope of the collection is vast, but your agent can narrow it down to exactly what matters for your specific project. ## Tools ### get_departments Lists all museum departments to help you filter your search by category. Use this to find the correct ID for a specific area like Arms and Armor. ### get_object Pulls full metadata, dimensions, and image URLs for a specific artwork ID. This is the primary way to get deep details on a single piece. ### get_objects_by_department Finds all object IDs within a specific museum department. Use this to gather a list of works from a specific cultural area. ### search_highlights Finds the most significant and popular works selected by curators. Use this to quickly find famous pieces in the collection. ### search_objects Searches the entire collection using filters like medium, date, and highlight status. This is your primary tool for broad discovery. ### search_on_view Identifies which objects are currently on display in the physical museum. Perfect for planning a visit to the galleries. ### search_with_images Finds artworks that have associated images, including those with CC0 licenses. Use this when you need to see the art, not just read about it. ### search_by_century Returns object IDs for artworks created in a specific century. This is useful for chronological research of specific eras. ## Prompt Examples **Prompt:** ``` Find some famous sculptures from the 1800s. ``` **Response:** ``` ### 19th Century Sculptures I found several significant sculptures from the 1800s in the collection. Here are a few highlights: | Title | Artist | Date | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | **The Thinker** | Auguste Rodin | 1902 | | **The Age of Bronze** | Auguste Rodin | 1889 | | **The Gates of Hell** | Auguste Rodin | 1886 | Would you like the dimensions or image links for any of these? ``` **Prompt:** ``` What's currently on view in the Egyptian Art department? ``` **Response:** ``` ### Egyptian Art: Currently On View There are several fascinating pieces currently displayed in the galleries. Here are a few examples: * **Temple of Dendur** (reconstructed in the museum) * **Statues of Pharaohs** (various dynasties) * **Sarcophagi** from the New Kingdom I can pull more specific metadata or images for these if you'd like. ``` **Prompt:** ``` Show me some high-res images of Monet paintings. ``` **Response:** ``` ### Claude Monet Masterpieces I found several Monet paintings with available images. Here are some highlights: * **Water Lilies (1906)** * **The Japanese Footbridge (1920)** * **Rouen Cathedral series** I can provide the direct image URLs for these pieces to help with your project. ``` ## Capabilities ### Search 470,000+ artworks Find any piece in the collection using keywords like artist name, title, or culture. ### Pull full metadata Get dimensions, credit lines, dates, and repository URLs for specific objects. ### Browse by department Filter the entire collection by specific museum categories like Egyptian Art or Asian Art. ### Find curator highlights Quickly identify the most significant and popular works selected by museum experts. ### Locate on-view objects See what is currently displayed in the museum's physical galleries for trip planning. ### Filter by century Retrieve artworks created within a specific 100-year period. ### Find CC0 images Identify artworks that have high-resolution images available for open access use. ## Use Cases ### Academic research on 19th-century sculpture A researcher asks the agent to find all sculptures from the 1800s. The agent uses search_by_century to gather a list and pulls dimensions for the top 5 results. ### Building a visual classroom presentation An educator wants to show highlights from Egyptian Art. They use search_highlights to find the most iconic pieces for a slide deck. ### Sourcing free images for a public project A designer needs free images for a mural. They use search_with_images to find artworks with CC0 licenses for public use. ### Planning a trip to the NYC galleries A student wants to see what's in the museum today. They use search_on_view to identify which objects are currently on display. ## Benefits - Skip the manual search by using search_objects to filter by medium, date, and department in one query. - Get high-res visuals instantly by using search_with_images to find CC0-licensed artwork for your projects. - Plan your next visit by using search_on_view to see what's actually in the gallery right now. - Pull complete records, including dimensions and credit lines, via get_object for academic accuracy. - Quickly categorize your findings by using get_departments to organize your research by cultural context. ## How It Works The bottom line is you get direct, conversational access to a massive art database without the manual research friction. 1. Connect the Met Museum MCP to your preferred AI client. 2. Describe the specific artwork, artist, or department you want to explore in plain English. 3. Receive a curated list of object IDs followed by full metadata and image links. ## Frequently Asked Questions **Does the Met Museum MCP require an API key?** No, it uses open access data, so you can start using it immediately without needing to set up any external accounts. **Can I find images that are free to use for my project?** Yes, you can specifically search for artworks that have CC0 licenses, making it easy to find visual assets for public use. **Can I see what's actually in the museum right now?** Yes, you can find objects that are currently on view in the physical galleries, which is great for planning a visit to New York. **Is this good for academic research?** It's perfect for researchers because it pulls specific metadata like dimensions, credit lines, and dates directly into your chat. **How many artworks can I search using this Connector?** You have access to over 470,000 objects from the Met Museum's collection through a single connection. **Can I search for art from a specific century?** Yes, the Connector includes a tool to filter the collection by century, allowing you to focus your research on specific historical eras. **Do I need an API key?** No! The Met Museum API is completely free and open. No authentication required. 80 requests/second rate limit. **Can I use the artwork images commercially?** Yes! Open Access images are licensed under CC0 (Public Domain). You can use them for any purpose without restriction. **How many artworks are in the collection?** The Met collection includes 470,000+ artworks spanning 5,000 years of art history from every part of the globe. **What departments are available?** The Met has 20+ departments including: European Paintings, Egyptian Art, Asian Art, Arms and Armor, Greek and Roman Art, Islamic Art, Modern and Contemporary Art, and many more. Use get_departments to see the full list.