Research Guides: Visual Arts Copyright and Digital Documentation: Artwork Descriptions

Essential Elements to Describing Artwork

Artist Name: Your full legal name as you want it to appear professionally (e.g., "Jane Smith" or "J. Smith")
Artwork Title: The official name of your artwork, capitalized appropriately (e.g., "Sunrise Over Mountains")
Date: Year of completion, or range of years if created over time (e.g., "2023" or "2022-2023")
Medium: All materials used in creating the artwork (e.g., "Oil on canvas," "Stoneware clay with manganese dioxide," "Mixed media: paper, acrylic, found objects")
Artwork Type: The category or form of your artwork (e.g., "Painting," "Sculpture," "Ceramics," "Digital print," "Mixed media installation")
Dimensions: Physical measurements of the work, typically height × width × depth when applicable, including units (e.g., "24 × 36 × 2 inches" or "61 × 91.5 × 5 cm")
Copyright: Statement of your ownership rights, including the copyright symbol, your name, and year (e.g., "© Jane Smith, 2023")

Everything needed for the basic museum documentation plus the information below. Remember the extended documentation should be based on your documentation needs:

Unique ID: A consistent code system you create to identify each artwork in your inventory (e.g., "JS-P-2023-001" for Jane Smith, Painting, 2023, item #1)
Artwork Description: A detailed paragraph about the piece, including inspiration, techniques, meaning, and notable features (100-200 words recommended)
Pricing: Current retail price, including currency symbol (e.g., "$750" or "€680")
Inventory Number: Quantity available if limited edition or multiples (e.g., "1 of 1" for unique works, "3 available" for an edition of 10)
Sales Locations: Physical and online venues where the artwork is available (e.g., "Personal website, Gallery XYZ, Art Fair ABC")
Exhibition History: Chronological list of exhibitions where the work has been shown (e.g., "2023: 'New Perspectives,' Gallery XYZ, Portland, OR")

Sample Artwork Description

Unique ID: fsp-0001 
Artwork Title: Long White Speckled Platter 
Date: 2024 
Medium: Speckled clay; white glossy glaze 
Artwork Type: Ceramics Dimensions: 24" x 10" x 0.5" 
Copyright: © Kate Thornhill, 2024 
Pricing: $72.00 
Inventory: 4 available 
Sales locations: Website, Maude Kerns, Clay Fest, Whitaker Market 
Description: Each platter is a unique testament to Friendship Station Pottery's philosophy, emerging from the kiln with its own character etched by memories of the sea. The generous 24-inch length provides an impressive stage for both culinary creations and nature's bounty. 
Exhibition History: 2024: "Ceramic Showcase," Maude Kerns Art Center, Eugene, OR

Why Each Field Matters

This table present a list of fields that can be used to describe your artwork. In addition to Fields, or artwork description labels, the purpose and the audience (the people who read your descriptions) benefit are also included.

Field	Purpose	Audience Benefit
Unique ID	Creates a trackable inventory system	Helps you locate specific pieces quickly when a buyer inquires
Artwork Title	Establishes identity and searchability	Helps collectors reference your work in conversations and searches
Date	Documents your artistic timeline	Shows progression and may affect value for collectors
Medium	Provides technical information	Informs collectors about durability, care requirements, and value
Artwork Type	Categorizes work for organization	Helps galleries and collectors understand your primary disciplines
Dimensions	Clarifies physical specifications	Helps buyers determine if the piece will fit in their space
Copyright	Establishes legal ownership	Protects your intellectual property rights
Pricing	Sets clear market value	Eliminates confusion and haggling for buyers
Inventory	Tracks availability	Prevents overselling and creates urgency for limited editions
Sales Locations	Documents where work can be purchased	Helps you track which venues perform best for your work
Description	Provides context and story	Creates emotional connection with potential buyers
Exhibition History	Documents provenance	Adds credibility and potentially increases value

Why Spreadsheets Are Important

Why Spreadsheet Are Important Spreadsheets are important for describing your artwork because they support your ability to create an inventory that is very structured. Basically, your goal is to create your own catalog.

Benefits of Spreadsheets:

Structured organization
Sortable data
Quick information retrieval
Bulk editing capabilities
Inventory tracking
Documentation history
Low barrier to entry
No specialized software needed

Template to Use to Support Your Cataloging

Artwork Description Template - Your Catalog!
Here is a template that you can use to create your catalog.