A digital collection or catalogue raisonné helps secure, manage and publish your collection data. Learn about making the most of these advantages for your collection.
- Start now. Digitizing and transferring your collection data into a digital catalogue can seem intimidating. But that makes it all the more important not to wait but start now.
- Get an overview of your collection. Every collection of artworks and artist's estate has its peculiarities. It is helpful to get an overview of the scope and complexity of the collection before starting the cataloging process. To many collectors, an Excel list may initially seem sufficient to capture all the basic information about their artworks. But as a collection grows, the requirements often change. The larger the collection, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of everything. Loans, insurance, and provenance also become important.
- Choose a suitable software. Once you know the scope of your collection or archive, choose software that fits your project. When choosing software, ensure you find tools with all the features you need to capture your collection and present it to the public.
- Take high-quality photographs. We recommend you select high-resolution images with a true color reproduction for your project. This is especially important if you plan to publish it. Photographing each work in suitable quality from the start is worthwhile, so all the data you need for your successful collection management is available when required.
- Invest time in data input. Cataloging can require a lot of time, depending on its scope. In addition to basic data — such as title and year of origin — all existing work information should be recorded. This includes, for example, exhibition history, provenance, condition, current storage location, and mentions in publications and sales catalogs. Investing enough time to record all available information and update it as you go ensures your project offers a valuable contribution to researchers.
- Use standardized vocabulary. When inputting your data, a uniform vocabulary is needed to describe certain information. Data, such as artist names, objects, materials, and publications, should always be entered similarly. The Navigating.art platform makes this easy with automatic rendering. When you enter data, it will automatically adapt to uniform spelling.
- Create a hierarchical structure. Several hierarchical levels exist to structure resources. Creating a hierarchical arrangement of these categories allows you to relate individual artworks as two parts of the same series, the same exhibition or to connect them to a publication in which they appear. Assigning a collection item to the correct category helps you understand and organize the structure of your collection.
- Add information. Once the basic data of an artwork has been cataloged, it is time to document more information, such as the provenance and exhibition history, to complete the entry. The more complete an entry, the more helpful it is for research. The Navigating.art platform allows entering all existing information about the artwork and its background. For example, the participation of an artwork in an exhibition, its mention in a publication and its provenance including past sales or offers at auctions can be entered. Even essays related to the artwork can be uploaded to complete the entries.
- Link your data. Linking data allows researchers to examine associated resources to discover overlooked connections easily. The Navigating.art platform allows you to link artworks, publications, exhibitions, and other resources in the archive for easy usability.
- Create Reports. You will invariably need to create a report of selected artworks or your entire collection while cataloging for editors or researchers. Navigating.art platform allows you to create custom reports and overviews with just a few clicks whenever you need them.
- Share your collection. You can make your information available to the public after gathering information about your artwork. Publishing your data benefits other researchers, increasing its findability and digital accessibility. Navigating.art lets you decide whether to publish all the information or only a selected part.
Keep reading about cataloging best practices: Ten principles of digital cataloguing.
Last updated: October 25, 2023