Cataloguing Collections: Why, When, and How
Creating a complete record is an essential task in collections management, but for many collectors and institutions documenting each object in their possession may be arduous and sometimes seemingly costly. This is especially true when the collection is made up of several hundreds, if not thousands, of pieces.
At Renata Kaminker – Fine Art Solutions we believe that it is possible to create a full collections catalogue in a minimum of time and at a limited cost. Our job is to ensure that collections are properly cared for, and we do our best to adapt our offers to this end. We pride ourselves in making these operations simpler for our clients by either accompanying and guiding them every step of the way or taking care of the work to be done entirely.
Whether you are planning on hiring services such as ours or doing it on your own, there are a few things to keep in mind when creating a full inventory record.
Why Catalogue a Collection and When Should it Be Done
When to catalogue? As soon as the object enters the collection. If it has not been done at that time, then as soon as possible. When establishing your collection’s records the sooner it is done the better.
Why catalogue a collection? The simple answer is: because if you don’t know what you have, you won’t know what happened to it. A more complete answer requires delving into conservation and prevention issues, like theft and illicit trafficking.
Inventories allow for a detailed documentation of all objects as well as an accounting of their state of conservation at T-Time. A periodic survey, once a year, for example, allows for steady control of the works and immediate treatment if a change in state is noticed. This is essential in ensuring the long-term conservation of the pieces.
Regarding the issue of prevention, while one does not expect to either have an object stolen or find an illegally traded artefact in their hands, the fact is that theft and illicit trafficking are more common than one thinks. Those who do not have records of their objects can rarely recover them if they do disappear. An inventory file, complete with detailed photographs, is essential in recognizing and recovering works when they’re being resold after a theft.
In the case of an illicitly traded work, the inventory file serves as a record of when and how it entered the collection. And, if the documentation has been done thoroughly, will include all the paperwork regarding provenance and due diligence measures taken at the time of acquisition.
Furthermore, having a full understanding of what you have is a prerequisite when engaging in activities such as research or risk management. The former applies whether you wish to increase the value of a piece before a sale or are thinking of someday lending one for an exhibit. The latter refers back to collections preservation and protection: if you don’t know what you have and what state it is in, it will be impossible to put the proper preventive conservation, handling, and security measures in place.
Lastly, having a complete catalogue is also of great importance for insurance purposes. Comprehensive documentation can be very valuable when guaranteeing that your policy covers you properly as, over time, your collection grows in size and value. You should ideally be providing a complete record at the start of the policy, or at the latest at the time of renewal. Most insurers will usually also accept to do a policy review, if needed, when submitting or updating the records during the year.
How to Catalogue a Collection
Cataloguing can mean creating simple and quick record sheets for each piece or a more detailed file. We always advise our clients to have as much information as possible, and while this does mean more time and effort dedicated to the task when first establishing them, it also means that once the information is written down all that will be needed is a simple annual update.
Inventories, whether simple or detailed, always have the same basic categories of information. It is the level of details in these categories that make the difference.
An inventory record should have the following data:
A unique object number, using a standardised format for all the works in the collection.
The title of the piece, or if there is none then a brief one-line description.
Author, if known, otherwise Anonymous or Unknown can also be used.
If the pieces belong to a grouping or set (e.g., a jewellery or tea set), clearly indicate the number of objects in it.
A brief description, longer than the one replacing the title of the piece (2-3 lines will do).
The location of the piece, to be updated every time it is moved.
Pictures (front, back, and any important or unique details).
Technique and materials.
Date or era.
Dimensions, including the unit used.
A condition report.
Any new or updated file should also have the name of the person who worked on it and the date. This is essential in keeping track of any changes.
When delving deeper into the details, and as much as possible, records should be accompanied by:
All available documentation on the provenance of the piece.
Research references.
Handling, storage, and display requirements.
Lastly, keeping this rich documentation in a specialised database is highly recommended. While having Excel or Word files is quite common, and can serve as a temporary measure, the larger a collection is the more it needs specific technical measures put in place. The databases not only help keep track more easily of the piece’s information, such as updates to its location or the state of conservation, but most of them also feature tagging systems and broader categories that help locate similar or related objects within the collection. This is especially useful when trying to regroup objects for either a sale or a loan.
In Short
Catalogue your collection so that you know what you have, what state it is in, and how to best protect it.
Inventory records can be simple and quick, or more detailed. Both are acceptable but needless to say the more information you have the better.
Using a database is always preferable to Excel or Word files, especially for larger collections.
If you don’t know how to do any of this, are overwhelmed by the task, or don’t have the human resources to do it yourself, don’t be afraid to call on specialised services to handle it for you. These will not always be as costly as you may expect.
Conservation Treatments and Reports as an Integral Part of Provenance Research
I’m honoured to have been invited to contribute to Flynn & Giovanni's The Provenance Research Blog.
Conservation treatments and their reports, which include condition reports, are an important yet underused asset in provenance research. As written and photographic witnesses to the state of an artwork at a specific point in time, including details on any damages, changes, place(s) of conservation, and history of the piece, these reports are an essential part of research.
You can read the full article here.
The Fundamentals of Art: Questions from an Interior Designer
I’m honoured to have been invited to speak on the Decorex 2020 panel “The Fundamentals of Art: Questions from an Interior Designer”. I’ll be joining Tova Ossad (Ossad Art Management), Giovanni Sard (Lonmart Insurance), and Brian Woulfe (Designed by Woulfe).
The panel will go through the basics of what interior designers should be considering beyond just the purchase of an artwork. The discussion will cover important factors including transports, storage insurance, conservation, and general record keeping.
Join us for a live Q & A session on the 17th, 11.30 am GMT!
Register for free by clicking on the image below.
Providing better value to collectors: Technical analysis and collections management combined
The partnership between Art in Lab and Renata Kaminker – Fine Art Solutions, has allowed a collection’s owner to find the response to its scientific and collections management needs in one single place, thus saving valuable time and resources
Estelle Itié from Art in Lab and I are hard at work studying paintings under three different but complementary techniques:
Raking light
Ultraviolet (UV) photography
Infrared (IR) Reflectography
Each one of these analytical techniques provides a new level of information which will allow us to acquire a deeper understanding of the pieces under our care and the artist that produced them, while serving as added data to the inventory files being prepared.
In its most basic form, raking light renders the differences in the surface texture of the painting more visible, UV photography will provide information on which areas have been over-painted or if there is a varnish on the surface, and IR Microscopy will reveal any underlying drawings.
When combined with the previous study of the stratigraphic layers, performed a few weeks ago with co-founder of Art in Lab Ilenia Cassan, these images will allow to not only have empirical data supporting or refuting the artworks’ dating theories, but also allow for better future conservation treatment choices.
* Our client’s privacy being one of our prime concerns, when sharing any images we do so with the owner’s written permission and ensuring that the artworks are either blurred or have only details appear.
Raking light
Under raking light, the painting is illuminated from only one side, at an oblique angle as related to its surface.
As stated above, raking light allows us to clearly see the surface’s texture, highlighting any differences, be it due to damage or to the artists’ doing, such as thicker brushstrokes or an impasto.
It is one of the two most common techniques used by conservators to study a piece when preparing a condition report as it reveals easily, quickly, and very clearly the surface condition of a painting.
Ultraviolet (UV) photography
UV light is the other analytical technique most commonly used by conservators and conservation scientists alike, and is also included in condition reports.
UV light reveals:
Previous restorations, such as retouchings
Over-paintings
The presence of older natural resin varnishes
The probability of a signature or inscription’s authenticity, when compared to the surface surrounding it
The state of an artwork’s varnish
We have chosen to take things taken a step further and, in agreement with our client, have added these images to the collection’s inventory files for use in future treatment choices as well as comparison should there be any issues with the preventive conservation and storage measures that they decided on.
Infra-Red (IR) Reflectography
IR Reflectography is used to “see through” paint layers. This imaging technique allows us to study any existing underdrawings or compositional changes that lie beneath the visible paint layers.
IR Reflectography allows researchers to further understand the working process of an artist, which in turn will inform conservators on how to proceed. It is also used to help reveal fakes and forgeries, as these rarely have the type of underdrawings an original painting has, with all its mistakes and changes decided by the artist.
It’s been wonderful working on this collection with Art in Lab, and I look forward to future projects together. Throughout several weeks we have analysed paintings from different time periods and in different mediums, have created inventory files for all the pieces, and added condition reports to each one of these.
Thanks to the partnership between our two services the owner of these pieces has a full response to the questions of what he has, what state it is in, and what can be done to preserve it all moving forward, all in one place and without having to risk transporting the pieces or spending time going to see different specialists each in their own location.
Work in progress
Thanks to the ongoing partnership with Art In Lab we are able to work on collections from a holistic point of view.
As we move forward through the different project stages, our combined knowledge and expertise allow for better understanding of the works in front of us. Which in turn will provide a more complete report to our client.
The samples are studied under microscope in order to comprehend the stratigraphic structure of the paint layers, they were taken from a 19th century French oil on canvas. As we take a deeper look at the layers that make up the piece, we can see how the creative logic used by the artist. The build-up of layers tells the story of how the artist conceived the painting should be, how he built his image up from a simple drawing to the final work. It also helps date the piece, as we acquire more information on the pigments and other materials themselves.
Sample studying also plays a key role in confirming whether any paint or varnish was added after the artist finished the artwork, all of which, when combined with other tests such as UV, IR, and X-Ray, provides key information in understanding the object’s history.
What’s cooking?
I am delighted to announce a new partnership with an old friend: Art in Lab!
Following several exchanges and meetings, Renata Kaminker – Fine Art Solutions and Art in Lab have decided to work together on a series of requests from a private client.
We are delighted to be able to offer a complete solution to an increasing problem in private art collections: What do I have? What state is it in? Is it really as old as it purports to be? Is the author truly the one I think it is?
As we plan our approach to the incoming pieces and prepare the work that this new project requires, we look forward to answering this and any other questions that may arise along the way.
Come back to read on more news and details as we advance on this new and exciting project. We will be sharing insights into the hows and whys of our intervention choices.
Collections in lockdown: What do we do now?
Following a very busy summer working alongside the French Blue Shield Committee, I am delighted to announce that we are publishing a set of guidelines for collections care under lockdown conditions: Veille sanitaire, sûreté et sécurité en situation de confinement (Health, safety and security monitoring in lockdown situations).
The document gives a simple set of steps that may be followed when guiding your teams. It’s meant to help with monitoring situations, specifically regarding sanitary, security and safety measures.
The document is particularly aimed at institutions with limited staff and material means.
At the moment, only the French version is available, but the English and Spanish ones have been prepared and will be published in the coming weeks.
You may access and download the French document here.
"Managing Your Collection" article published in Art Law Club
I’m grateful to the Art Law Club for the invitation to write an article on collections management back in March 2020. It was a pleasure to touch on such important issues as preventive conservation and inventories.
“Managing a collection is both a simple and complex issue. There are a set number of guidelines that institutions should follow, and which cover a wide range of areas. This can seem overwhelming when one is faced with a whole collection and an entire building instead of individual pieces and rooms. It is because there is so much information to be considered that the prospect of managing a collection may seem daunting to some. In order to help institutions and their professionals get started with this task, this article aims to give a quick overview of the basic procedures…”
You may find the full article here: Managing Your Collection.
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions surveyed the Musée Biochet-Bréchot’s collection
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions was recently entrusted with performing a collections survey for the Musée Biochet-Bréchot in Caudebec-en-Caux (Normandy, France). The museum, which is housed in an 12th century Templar building, is scheduled to open in early 2021.
The Musée Biochet-Bréchot holds a wide range of objects, extending from Merovingian swords to 19th century paintings. The collection presents the history of the town and the region.
The conservation survey included:
A study of the condition of each object in the collection
An overview of the preventive conservation measures in place in the exhibit space and the storage area
A review of the state of their inventory
The on-site survey will be completed by a full report presenting the findings, suggestions on how to best approach the work to be done based on legal requirements as well as priorities related to the needs of the objects themselves, and advice on the preventive conservation measures that the museum could take to better preserve their collections.
As a third-party independent report, the document will then be used by the Musée Briochet-Brechot to schedule the upcoming work in a more efficient manner, organize their upcoming budget and staff requirements, and support financial requests.
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions is delighted to be part of this exciting project and I look forward to the opening of the museum next year.
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions partners with Pinakotag for its work at the Musée Élise Rieuf!
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions is proud to present its new partnership with Pinakotag!
Video in French, with English subtitles
Pinakotag is a web-based management system that centralizes all relevant information (material, historical and administrative) for fine art collectors (private and institutional). It responds to the need for registering one’s collections and follow up each individual piece’s life (restoration, transportation, documentation, etc.). Under the guise of a traditional wax-seal is hidden a microchip linking to the relevant information. The chip is readable on any smartphone or tablet. Created by a painting’s conservator, it allies IoT technologies and fine art conservation constraints.
In partnership with Pinakotag, Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions started on the final phase of setting a new inventorying process which would allow the Musée Élise Rieuf (Massiac, France) to confirm the localization of its artworks, update the inventory files, and fluidify and simplify their working process all in real time, rendering it all more time-efficient.
The system will allow the 3-person museum staff to quickly and efficiently organise the inventory of its collections, and follow-up on the localisation of its 600+ pieces at a rate of 150 artworks per hour and per person.
Renata Kaminker - Fine Art Solutions is delighted to have included in this new project! We aim to simplify the tasks of those who handle collections, large and small, freeing them so that their time may be used in pursuing other urgent matters.
What Our Clients Say About Us
“Pinakotag is very happy to work in partnership with R.K. Fine Art Solutions, as we have the same philosophy when it comes to artworks (love of art, respect for the material and history of the pieces, professional ethics) and a complementary approach to collection management.”