work of art
Let an agent handle works of art by artist, date, medium, location, provenance and rights, with careful attribution.
Research draft, second pass
A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.
written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify
Researched by: Claude
Purpose and description
Let an agent handle works of art by artist, date, medium, location, provenance and rights, with careful attribution.
A physical object or work created with artistic intent, such as a painting, sculpture, altarpiece, installation or monument, valued for its aesthetic, cultural or historical significance.
What it is for: Aesthetic experience, cultural memory, devotion and expression.
It can be view and study it; attribute and date it; conserve and restore it; lend, sell or reproduce it, under law.
Distinguishing features
Made with artistic intent
Attribution and provenance are central facts
Physical object with a unique history
Protected by copyright and cultural property law
What it looks like
Paintings, sculptures, altarpieces, installations, cairns and other forms; the physical object carries the work.
How it is recognised
Signatures, labels and catalogue entries
Style and technique suggest attribution but do not prove it
Museum accession numbers
Related models
is created by - maker
is a kind of - made thing
is protected as - law
has kind - public art
In practice
Families and kinds
paintings
sculpture
religious art such as altarpieces and stations of the Cross
installations and land art
public art and monuments
Identifiers
museum accession number institution-specific collection id
Wikidata item Q plus digits cross-reference
Standards and regulation
UNESCO 1970 Convention
Copyright and resale right
Export licensing for cultural goods
Failure modes and hazards
Forgery and misattribution
Looted works in trade
Damage from poor conservation
Also called
+523
Where this came from
wikidata · CC0 1.0
Drafted structure
Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.
Attribution Who made it and when.
Attribution is the core fact.
Artist
Maker.
Attribution
Artist and certainty.
- Who made this work, and how certain is the attribution? provenance
- Who attributed it? provenance
Date and medium
When and in what.
Date and medium
Date and materials.
- When was it made, and in what medium? measurement
- How was the date established? provenance
Location and provenance Where it is and has been.
Provenance matters for law and ethics.
Location
Current holder.
Location
Current location.
- Where is the work now, and who owns it? provenance
- Is it on public display? definition
Provenance
Ownership history.
Provenance
History of ownership.
- What is its provenance? provenance
- Are there gaps or claims for restitution? boundary
Condition Conservation.
Works need care.
State
Condition.
Condition
Condition report.
- What condition is it in? measurement
- Has it been restored? provenance
Conservation
Care plan.
Conservation
Conservation needs.
- What conservation does it need? action
- Who is responsible? provenance
Rights Reproduction and export.
Rights govern use of images and movement of works.
Copyright
Reproduction.
Copyright
Rights status.
- Is the work still in copyright? boundary
- Who licenses images? provenance
Export
Cultural goods rules.
Export
Export restrictions.
- Does export need a licence? boundary
- Is the work designated as national treasure? provenance
What the second pass must settle
- Should works be instances with collection ids?
- How should uncertain attributions be recorded?
- How should immovable works be distinguished from movable ones?