ART news & views

14/09/2025

Aakriti Art Gallery Trophy – Supreme Pune City Gold Cup DayOn the occasion of the Special Race Day at the Royal Western India Turf Club (RWITC), Pune, Aakrit...

04/09/2025

30/08/2025

Spotlight News: Lufthansa, in collaboration with ART MUMBAI, is sending five Indian artists on creative journeys to Berlin, Paris, New York, and San Francisco.

27/08/2025

In the landscape of early twentieth-century sculpture, Fanindra Nath Bose occupies a unique position as a transnational artist who bridged colonial India and metropolitan Europe

25/08/2025

The implementation of U.S. tariff reforms in August 2025 has triggered widespread concern among exporters. However, for Indian galleries, dealers, and artists sending original artworks to U.S.

23/08/2025

Shaping Bengal: A Brief Chronicle is a seminal and timely publication that meticulously documents the journey of modern and contemporary sculpture in Bengal over the past one and a half centuries.

19/08/2025

In the world of Indian contemporary art, Pradip Maitra occupies a space that is as introspective as it is quietly radical. Born in 1959 in Sreerampore, West Bengal, Maitra’s journey into the visual arts began with a formal education at the Indian College of Art and Draftsmanship in Kolkata, where ...

19/08/2025

ArtBlogazine.com is a platform dedicated to artist, artist interviews, art exhibition in Mumbai, International , creative insights, art gallery.

17/08/2025

As designers and brands embrace limited-edition objets d’art, the meaning of ‘collectible’ is shifting — from rare antiques to items with contemporary artistic value

08/08/2025

The Importance of Correctly
Cataloguing an Artwork.

In the art world, a catalogue entry is not simply a record—it is the artwork’s official biography. From the moment a piece enters a gallery, museum, or private collection, its catalogue entry becomes the foundation for everything that follows: research, conservation, exhibition, and sale. A single oversight in cataloguing can echo for decades, leading to misattribution, loss of provenance, or even legal disputes.

1. Preserving Provenance

Provenance—the documented history of ownership—is one of the most important elements in determining both an artwork’s authenticity and its value. A correctly catalogued work will record:
• Artist’s name (accurately spelled, with correct diacritics)
• Title of the work (original language and, if necessary, English translation)
• Date of creation
• Medium and materials
• Dimensions (in the correct Height × Width × Depth order)
• Signature or inscription details
• Full chain of ownership, if known

Even minor errors—such as a missing signature note or a mistranslated title—can weaken provenance, making authentication more difficult in the future.

2. Supporting Scholarly Research

Art historians and researchers rely on catalogue entries as primary data sources. When cataloguing is done correctly, it provides scholars with accurate facts for comparative analysis, stylistic study, and exhibition histories. An incomplete or incorrect catalogue entry can mislead scholarship, resulting in works being wrongly attributed, misdated, or overlooked in academic research.

3. Facilitating Loans and Exhibitions

When artworks travel for exhibitions, their catalogue record acts as a universal reference point for curators, registrars, and conservators. Correct catalogue entries ensure that:
• Handling instructions are based on accurate size, weight, and material information.
• Display conditions are set according to the work’s specific requirements (light levels, humidity, mount type).
• Insurance documentation matches the physical reality of the object.

4. Legal and Ethical Safeguards

A thorough catalogue entry can protect against legal disputes by proving legitimate ownership, lawful acquisition, and compliance with cultural property laws. For works with sensitive histories—such as those looted during wartime or illicitly exported—accurate cataloguing is an ethical imperative as much as a legal one.

5. Market Confidence

In galleries and auction houses, buyers depend on catalogue entries to make informed decisions. A complete and accurate record instils trust, while discrepancies can cause hesitation or devalue the work. For collectors, this level of precision becomes part of the asset’s long-term security.

Best Practices in Art Cataloguing
• Consistency – Use a standardised format for all entries.
• Verification – Cross-check details with artist records, prior publications, and the object itself.
• Clarity – Avoid ambiguous terms; be precise in material descriptions (“oil on canvas” vs “mixed media”).
• Transparency – Note any uncertainties (e.g., “attributed to” or “probably 1950s”) rather than omitting details.
• Documentation – Include high-resolution images, detail shots, and reverse-side photographs.

Note : Correct cataloguing is not an administrative chore—it is a responsibility to the artwork, the artist, and future generations. In the same way a well-kept archive safeguards history, an accurate catalogue entry safeguards the truth of a work’s identity. The value of art is not determined by price alone; it is also measured by the depth and accuracy of the story we preserve with it.

Aakriti Art Gallery