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Inspect Artwork Image

inspect_artwork_image

Read-onlyIdempotent

Return image bytes for LLM visual analysis of an artwork. Inspect the full piece or a region to examine details or read inscriptions.

Instructions

Returns image bytes (base64) for the LLM's own visual analysis. Covers a whole artwork or a region. The LLM can see and reason about the image immediately — not for the user to view (use get_artwork_image for the interactive viewer). Not for listing or summarising artworks — use search_artwork.

Use with region 'full' (default) to inspect the complete artwork, or specify a region to zoom into details, read inscriptions, or examine specific areas. The response includes cropPixelWidth/cropPixelHeight: the actual pixel dimensions of the returned image.

Region coordinates: 'pct:x,y,w,h' (percentage of full image, recommended), 'crop_pixels:x,y,w,h' (pixel coordinates of the full image — use with nativeWidth/nativeHeight from a prior response), or 'x,y,w,h' (legacy IIIF pixels, equivalent to crop_pixels). A tight region returns more real detail than a larger size — the server never upscales past the region's own pixels. For multi-panel works, estimate panel percentages from the physical dimensions in get_artwork_details.

When a viewer is open for this artwork, it automatically zooms to the inspected region (navigateViewer defaults to true, no effect when region is 'full'), so no separate navigate_viewer call is needed for basic zoom.

The response includes the active viewUUID (if any) for follow-up navigate_viewer calls.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`size`	No	Width of returned image in pixels (200–1988, default 1568). Vision models bill images in 28×28 patches, and that ceiling is the largest width clearing both the per-image patch budget and the stricter per-image limit that applies once a conversation has accumulated many images. Tall and square regions clamp below that automatically — the response reports the width actually delivered.
`region`	No	IIIF region: 'full', 'square', 'pct:x,y,w,h' (percentage), 'crop_pixels:x,y,w,h' (pixels of the full image — use with nativeWidth/nativeHeight from a prior response), or 'x,y,w,h' (legacy IIIF pixels, equivalent to crop_pixels). E.g. 'pct:0,60,40,40' for bottom-left 40%.	full
`quality`	No	Image quality — 'gray' can help read inscriptions or signatures	default
`rotation`	No	Clockwise rotation in degrees
`viewUUID`	No	Target a specific viewer session (from get_artwork_image). When omitted, auto-discovers a viewer for this artwork.
`objectNumber`	Yes	The object number of the artwork (e.g. 'SK-C-5')
`navigateViewer`	No	Auto-navigate the open viewer to the inspected region (default: true). Only effective when a viewer is open for this artwork.

Output Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`error`	No
`title`	No	Artwork title — mirrors the caption in the text/image channel so structuredContent readers retain it.
`region`	Yes
`creator`	No	Artwork creator — mirrors the caption in the text/image channel.
`quality`	Yes
`rotation`	Yes
`viewUUID`	No	Active viewer session ID (if a viewer is open for this artwork)
`warnings`	No
`cropRegion`	No	Normalized IIIF region used for the fetch; crop_pixels: inputs are normalized to plain IIIF pixel regions.
`fetchTimeMs`	No	Time spent fetching from IIIF server (ms)
`nativeWidth`	No
`nativeHeight`	No
`objectNumber`	Yes
`requestedSize`	Yes
`cropPixelWidth`	No	Actual width in pixels of the returned inspect image/crop. Use with cropPixelHeight for crop-local pixel overlays.
`regionRecovery`	No	Out-of-bounds recovery hint. Present only on an `overlay_region_out_of_bounds` error — mirrors the recovery payload that the text channel renders, so a structuredContent reader can self-correct without parsing prose.
`cropPixelHeight`	No	Actual height in pixels of the returned inspect image/crop. Use with cropPixelWidth for crop-local pixel overlays.
`viewerNavigated`	No	Whether the viewer was auto-navigated to the inspected region

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed2 schema fields changedv0.90.2Oct 2, 2026

changedInput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

changedOutput schema / $schema

Previous value: -"http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#"New value: +"https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema"

Changed5 schema fields changedv0.90.1Sep 6, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / size / description

Previous value: -"Width of returned image in pixels (200–2016, default 1568). Defaults align to multiples of 28 for clean LLM coordinate handling: 1568 is Sonnet 4.6's native resolution cap, 2016 is the highest ×28 multiple that stays within Opus 4.7's per-image token budget across common aspect ratios."New value: +"Width of returned image in pixels (200–1988, default 1568). Vision models bill images in 28×28 patches, and that ceiling is the largest width clearing both the per-image patch budget and the stricter per-image limit that applies once a conversation has accumulated many images. Tall and square regions clamp below that automatically — the response reports the width actually delivered."

changedInput schema / properties / size / maximum
```
Previous value: -2016New value: +1988
```

removedOutput schema / properties / creator / anyOf

Removed value: -[
-  {
-    "type": "string"
-  },
-  {
-    "type": "null"
-  }
-]

addedOutput schema / properties / creator / type
```
Added value: +[
+  "string",
+  "null"
+]
```

addedOutput schema / properties / warnings

Added value: +{
+  "items": {
+    "type": "string"
+  },
+  "type": "array"
+}

First observedv0.90.0Jul 4, 2026

TDQS

A4.8/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Annotations cover the safety profile (readOnly, idempotent, non-destructive), and the description goes well beyond them: base64 payload, no upscaling past the region's own pixels, automatic viewer zoom with navigateViewer defaulting to true, and that the response carries cropPixelWidth/cropPixelHeight and the active viewUUID for follow-up calls. These are non-obvious side effects an agent needs.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness4/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose and the sibling routing are front-loaded, and later paragraphs cover regions and viewer side effects. It is a bit long with some overlap between the 'region' prose in the body and the schema description, but nearly every sentence carries actionable information.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

For a 7-parameter vision tool with an output schema and full annotation coverage, the description supplies the remaining context: cross-tool workflow (get_artwork_details for panel percentages, navigate_viewer for follow-ups), image-degradation behavior, and response fields. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds real meaning: the three region coordinate syntaxes and which to prefer, the rationale for the size ceiling, and that 'gray' quality helps read inscriptions or signatures. It does add value over the schema, though it largely echoes the parameter descriptions already present.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

States a specific verb and resource ('Returns image bytes (base64) for the LLM's own visual analysis') and immediately scopes what it covers: a whole artwork or a region. It actively distinguishes itself from siblings by naming get_artwork_image (interactive viewer) and search_artwork (listing/summarising) as the wrong tools for those jobs.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines5/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

Explicit when-to-use and when-not-to-use: 'not for the user to view (use get_artwork_image)', 'Not for listing or summarising artworks — use search_artwork'. It also tells the agent when to use region 'full' versus a tight region (zoom into details, read inscriptions, examine specific areas), leaving little to inference.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

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