I want to copy a picture of a 17th century masterpiece from a book published in the US and use it for commercial purposes. The book was first published in 1968 and again in 1984. Do I have a right to do that as the author does not have the copyright of picture obviously. How long would the copyright last if the person does have a copyright of the photo of the masterpiece?

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copy right in the U.S. is good as for 50 years after the person (author)dies that is just standard but i guess you would have to talk to the author or publishers if you can use the picture

call the publisher and ask. They may very well own the copyright to that photo because it is printed in their book. it's best to contact them and ask. Let them know exactly how you want to use the photo and see what they say,

The publisher of the book likely has a copyright on the layout and design of the book, not of the pictures in it. So you should be able to copy the picture, but not the text or anything else that may be on the same page. Sounds confusing, huh? Check this link, it'll let you know how long copyrights last.