Mr. Cake is interested in using a piece of artwork as an element of the cover artwork for his first CD. In Googling the information he’s learned that the original artist is German and the image that he’d like to use is currently sold on postcards, art prints, etc. The artist is living (or his website is, anyway) so the question is: what is the best way to get the rights to use this image?
Ask him.
I’m serious. You have the website. Find the contact info and send an email. Try a translator program to put the message in German as well as English.
But start with just asking the artist.