No matter what you use Unsplash for, from time to time we all need inspiration from outside our usual scrolling patterns. If you are not sure where to start, the answer is here. Within the growing Archival collections on Unsplash lie artworks and historic imagery from international art galleries and museums like Smithsonian, Europeana, and The New York Public Library that you don’t want to miss. 

With over 90 thousand images — and growing — among the 'historical' search results, there is a lot to see. So grab a coffee, kick back and enjoy the hand-selected gems that will keep you joy (rather than doom) scrolling and who knows... might spark your next idea.

Within the expansive art collections on Unsplash lie names like Claude Monet, Edvard Munch, Auguste Renoir, Emily Sargent, Paul Klee, Vincent van Gogh and Paul Cézanne. Just to name a few.

Explore more famous artworks in the The Art Institute of Chicago, and The National Gallery of Art collections.

Image 1: Self-Portrait by Vincent van Gogh, Image 2: Persian Nightingales by Paul Klee Image 3: Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz by Amedeo Modigliani, Image 4: The Scream by Edvard Munch, Image 5: Cliff Walk at Pourville by Claude Monet

Whether you prefer Impressionist art or Cubism, there is much to look at in the simplicity of still life paintings. The range is varied, from Cezanne's oranges to the momento mori of Enlightenment paintings in the Rijksmuseum.

Explore more still life paintings in the Europeana and National Gallery of Art collections.

Image 1: Still Life with Ceramic Pots and Apples by Mikuláš Galanda, Image 2: Still Life with Milk Jug and Fruit by Paul Cezanne, Image 3: Still life with broken glass from the Rijksmuseum Image 4: Still Life of Melon, Fish, Jar Image 5:Still Life No.3 by Marsden Hartley

In their efforts to inspire lifelong learning, advance knowledge, and strengthen communities, the New York Public Library has shared over three thousand images on Unsplash and among them include historic figures, moments, and documents.

Explore more historic moments and photography in the Smithsonian, New York Public Library and Library of Congress collections.

Image 1: "Social Justice," founded by Father Coughlin, 1939, Image 2: We mourn our loss: Dr. Martin Luther King, 1929-1968, Image 3: Mexican carrot worker by Lee Russell Image 4: Oscar Wilde, 1882, Image 5: Head of the Statue of Liberty in Paris in 1883, Image 6: Civil rights march on Washington, D.C. by Warren K. Leffler

The world of landscape painting exists to capture, as much as it does to set the viewer into a dream state. From the rolling hills of France to the dramatic scenes of coastal Scotland, these are the scenes to set your mind at ease.

Explore more landscape paintings in the Art Institute of Chicago collections.

Images 1: Gebirgssee by Adolf Zdrazila, Image 2: The Last of New England, The Beginning of New Mexico by Marsden Hartley Image 3: Two Poplars by Vasily Kandinsky Image 4: Point Breeze, the Estate of Joseph Napoleon Bonaparte by Charles Lawrence, Image 5: Houses in Provence by Paul Cezanne 

You don't have to get it to love it. And the stats prove it: abstract art is among the most downloaded images from among the archival collections on Unsplash.

Explore more abstract art and patterns within The New York Public Library and Europeana collections.

Image 1: Kompositsioon "Estraad" by Aleksander Vardi, Image 2: Figuurid by Helmi Herman, Image 3: "Histoire de mes bêtes" from the Spencer Collection, Image 4: Glass and Checkerboard by Juan Gris, Image 5: Evocation of Roussel by Odilon Redon

With the rise of Neo Deco interior trends, it is no doubt that Art Deco influences are on the rise. Find the inspiration among the architectural, fashion and design features from the period straight from the sources.

Explore more Art Nouveau and Art Deco inspiration in the McGill Library collection.

Image 1: Art Deco and the Decorative Arts in the 1920's and 1930's and mage 2: Épingles à chapeau, or, turquoise et saphirs, 1900 Image 3: Beauty and the Beast, Image 4: Maurice Jallot from Intérieurs au Salon, Image 5: 1930s Wallpaper, Image 6: Design based on arabesques, 1900

Design obsessives, we see you. Midcentury modern, neoclassic, art deco, baroque, brutalist or Viennese secession... we could go on. The Library of Congress boasts a wide range of impressive buildings and architectural feats to admire, collect, or add to the mood board.

Explore more architectural feats in the Library of Congress collection.

Image 1: Palazzo Contarini della Scala, Image 2: The John Wax Building, Image 3: Pioneer Building, Washington Image 4: John Hancock Center by Bruce Graham Image 5: Century Hotel, Miami

Looking for more? This is just the tip of the iceberg. For more inspiration, see our curated Archival Gems collection and more from the institutions on Unsplash.