A New Renaissance for Ancient Masterpieces

In an era where culture often hides behind paywalls, the public domain is a quiet act of rebellion. At Santa Racla, we choose to work exclusively with artworks that belong to everyone — pieces whose creators lived centuries ago, whose rights have expired, and whose beauty has become part of the shared human heritage.

The Ethics of Open Access

To us, open access means transparency, preservation, and democratization of knowledge. Museums and libraries around the world have realized that keeping art locked away helps no one and by releasing their archives under open licenses they empower artists, designers, educators, and curious minds everywhere to build upon the past without barriers.

Institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Rijksmuseum, and the Smithsonian have opened hundreds of thousands of images under Creative Commons Zero (CC0) licenses — meaning anyone can download, reuse, and remix them freely. These collections are not just historical resources; they are creative catalysts.

How Museums Are Opening Their Archives to the World

The digital shift in the art world is profound. The Met Museum’s Open Access initiative, launched in 2017, released more than 375,000 public-domain images online. The Getty Museum, British Museum, and Art Institute of Chicago have followed suit.

This global movement marks a cultural revolution: institutions once devoted to preservation are now equally devoted to dissemination. High-resolution scans, metadata, and digital restoration make art more accessible than ever, empowering small creators — from independent studios to students — to engage with the visual language of the past.

Why It Matters for Santa Racla

We believe that art belongs to the people who love it.
We don't use AI images and we abhor them.
By using and restoring public-domain works, we pay tribute to centuries of creativity while keeping every image ethically sourced and legally transparent. Open access is not only practical — it’s a statement of respect for both artists and audiences.

Every tote bag we make carries a fragment of history, now given new life through craftsmanship and design. The public domain is the world’s greatest art archive, and we’re proud to be part of the generation that brings it back into the streets, into the light, and into everyday life.