In a Fine Art Auction What Does Attributed Mean

Cataloguing Fine Art, Part I: Paintings

By Lisa Thomas

One of the near important things we practice at Stair Galleries is to catalogue each lot that we offer for sale. The catalogue entries provide buyers with the information they need to understand what the item is, who the artist is, the date it was made and the particulars that pertain to the detail. The cataloguing procedure is different for every category of item, and each category has its own set of terminology. Within the Fine Arts area, we employ dissimilar terminology for paintings, works on newspaper, prints and sculpture. In this part of our series on Cataloguing Fine Art, we will discuss how we catalogue paintings.

Creative person's Name and Dates
The showtime piece of information we provide in our catalogue description for a painting is the artist. When the work was executed by an artist whose name is recognizable, we list the proper name followed by the creative person's birth and expiry dates, where appropriate. This signifies that, in our best judgment, the piece of work is by the mitt of the named artist. In assigning this attribution we rely on provenance, past sales of the work and information given to us by the consignor. Provenance is the most important piece of data we employ in determining attribution, and it is often said that provenance is the authentication for many artists.

HENRY ARY (1802-1859): VIEW OF MOUNT MERINO AND Southward BAY, HUDSON, NY, Fall TWILIGHT ,Lot 822, October 25-26, 2022 auction.

Attributed to the Artist
The authentication procedure has become circuitous as police force suits and legal liability play larger and larger roles. If we are not entirely comfortable with an artist attribution, we will say Attributed to the artist. This ways that we feel the work is probably by the artist, just we feel less sure and there is probably a lack of provenance information to rely on.

ATTRIBUTED TO JOHANN BERTHELSEN (1883-1972): Under THE BRIDGE ,Lot 229, June 7, 2022 sale.

Studio of the Artist
When nosotros have a painting that was probable executed by an unknown paw, but nether the supervision of a known painter, nosotros say Studio of the artist. Other terms such as Circle of, Mode of and Follower of take similar meanings. We use them to say that a work was fabricated by an unknown hand, but in the fashion of, and unremarkably gimmicky to, a known artist. These terminologies give us some leeway in describing paintings where in that location is petty available information, but that have artistic merit and are from the period. A painting that is in the way of a certain artist, merely that was done at a after date, nosotros describe as Mode of.

Circumvolve OF PIETER CODDE (1599-1678): MUSIZIERENDE GESELLSCHAFT ,Lot 19, October 25-26, 2022 auction.

After the Artist
For paintings that are copies of an original work, and where that work can be identified, we say After the artist. To apply this terminology with a painting, we must exist able to cite the painting being copied. The term Afterwards is used differently for prints and sculpture and volition be discussed in a future commodity.

AFTER PIERRE-AUGUSTE RENOIR: PORTRAIT D'UNE FEMME ,Lot 45, October 25-26, 2022 sale.

Schools
When no artist or specific mode, studio or manner can exist identified, we use broader terminology to aid place the painting in some kind of context. Continental School, European School, American School, etc., are used to requite an thought of where nosotros think the painting was done. For Mod and Gimmicky fine art without an artist attribution, we say 20th Century School.

CONTINENTAL Schoolhouse: GAMES Political party ,Lot 78, October 25-26, 2022 auction.

Title
The second piece of data nosotros provide in a catalogue entry is the title of the work. In many cases the painting is titled on the reverse or bears a characterization with a title. If not, we effort to assign a title that helps to place the painting and is in line with other titles for like works from the period. For example, if it is a 19th Century landscape scene with cows, nosotros might title the work Pastoral Landscape with Grazing Cows. A Modernistic or Gimmicky abstract painting might be called Untitled or Abstruse Composition.

Medium and Engagement
Subsequently the artist and the title of the work, we depict the medium, followed past the date when known. Sometimes we use a circa date if we accept information that allows united states to do that. A circa date means we feel the work was created within ten years of the appointment cited.

Signature
Next we draw how and where the painting is signed. We put the signature in single quotes exactly as it is written on the canvass. This helps to identify the signature in the future if research is being done on the painting or the artist. If the painting is dated and/or inscribed on the front or the back, we list that as well. When we employ the term begetting signature, we mean that, in our opinion, the signature has been added by another hand. Nosotros often take paintings on offer that bear a signature that appears to exist by a certain artist when nosotros feel that the painting as a whole is not by that artist. In this example, we would catalogue the painting equally, for example, 20th Century School (tells you that we think the painting was made in this time period and is of this way), signed 'Pablo Picasso' (tells you that this is the manner the painting is signed). Since we have not attributed the painting to Picasso as the creative person, you can deduce that the work is some kind of re-create. If we could identify the prototype as a real painting by Picasso, nosotros would catalogue it as After Picasso.

Lined vs. Relined
Post-obit the signature information we will say whether the painting has been lined. Lined ways that an additional surface, unremarkably canvass or linen, has been added to the back of the original canvas to stabilize it. Some people use the term Relined to mean the aforementioned thing, but by definition, Lined is the first layer added and Relined would be a second lining. In our Condition Reports we attempt to say how the painting has been lined, for instance wax lined.

Dimensions
After the descriptive information, we listing the dimensions of the work and the frame. For paintings, the dimensions are of the outer edges of the canvas where they wrap around the stretcher. If that dimension is non accessible, we volition measure the sight dimensions, or the image dimensions of what is visible in the frame.

Provenance
As we discussed above, Provenance is a very of import piece of information when cataloguing paintings. We list Provenance in descending club from the oldest owner to the most recent. In addition to Provenance, we list Literature and Exhibition data. Literature is most likely a reference to the painting in a book on the artist or the artist's Catalogue Raisonné. Exhibition information may include museum or gallery exhibitions of note.

Catalogue Note
Finally, we may write a Catalogue Note at the end of the entry to help explain something item to or interesting nearly the painting or the artist. Nosotros also may mention who endemic the painting and discuss how the work pertains to other similar works or to the torso of the artist's work as a whole.

Condition
We do not talk over the condition of the painting in the catalogue entry. Condition Reports are washed at the time of cataloguing using a black light, and are available for each lot in the auction. Condition Reports for paintings contain information about lining, surface problems (cracquelure, lifting, paint loss, scuffs, scratches and soiling), likewise as detailed data about holes, splits and tears, and whether they are backed, glued, and inpainted. Inpainting is described in item to allow a buyer know whether it is all-encompassing or simply in pocket-size, scattered areas. We are always happy to talk over condition reports on the telephone, or to provide more specific data and photographs.

In the next installment of Cataloguing Fine Art, we'll discuss how nosotros catalogue works on paper and prints.

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Source: https://www.stairgalleries.com/news-insights/insights/cataloguing-fine-art-part-one-paintings/

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