A Guide to Filling Out a Piece Record

Everything you need to know about what each field means when adding a new artwork to your inventory.

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Written by Cassidy
Updated over a week ago

Creating a New Piece Record:


  1. Title: The name given to the artwork.

  2. Piece Images: We recommend uploading high-resolution images to Artwork Archive for your Piece Records. If you choose to have a Public Profile, the images will automatically be resized for web viewing.

    1. Artwork Archive accepts most image file types up to 30 MB each. You can upload up to 10 supporting images per Piece Record.

    2. The original high-resolution images will be stored on your artwork record under "Original Files" at the bottom of the Piece Record page.

  3. Video Links: Where you can include Youtube or Vimeo links to any videos that relate to your piece. Examples include video installations, performance pieces, process videos, artist talks, etc.

  4. Type of Art: A broad classification that helps categorize artwork based on the predominant media, techniques and artistic approaches used. Identifying the type of art enables buyers to filter and search for artworks by these categories on Artwork Archive's Discovery platform.

  5. Medium: The materials or methods used by the artist to create the artwork. This free text field allows you to enter any relevant information about the medium.

  6. Subject Matter: The main concepts, objects, events, or emotions depicted or represented in the work. Examples include Landscape, Still Life, Portrait, etc.

  7. Tags: Tags are specific descriptive keywords you can add to your artwork to help categorize and group your artworks when searching or filtering your inventory.

  8. Creation Date: The date the artwork was created or finished by the artist. The creation date is important as it gives context to a piece within an artist's career.

  9. Price: The amount the work is sold for to an end buyer.

  10. Wholesale Price: The price that an artwork is sold for by the artist to a wholesale buyer or dealer, as opposed to the retail price.

  11. Inventory Number: A unique identifying number assigned to a specific artwork or object that is part of an overall inventory. Please note: We do not automatically generate inventory numbers as so many of our artists have their own way of numbering that it's really a challenge to come up with a one-size-fits-all solution. We offer so many ways to sort and filter that it's largely unnecessary unless you have some specific requirement related to inventory numbers. We also have a feature called Collections that allows you to categorize your work in a number of ways that suit you.

  12. Description: The description field for a piece can contain any information you wish to be public alongside the image (if you choose to make your piece public). This could be a brief description of the inspiration or process behind the piece to photo credits. This free field is optional and does not need to be filled out if you do not wish to do so.

  13. Notes: This field is used for any additional information you’d like to record about a specific piece. We’ve seen artists use this field for everything from materials used to kiln temperatures and everything in between. This field will ALWAYS remain private even if you decide to make your piece public.

  14. Provenance Notes: The history of the whereabouts of an object. Detailed provenance notes are crucial for collectors establishing authenticity and tracing the path of ownership over time.

  15. Status: The status of an artwork changes frequently, and you need to be able to keep track of it in order to stay organized. In Artwork Archive, you can mark a Piece as Available, Reserved, Donated, Sold, Not for Sale, Gifted, Work Destroyed, Lost, On Loan, Deaccessioned or Archived for quick reference, as well as filter by these statuses when searching for Pieces in your inventory. Please note that work marked as ‘Destroyed, Archived, Lost, Deaccessioned, Returned to Owner’ will be hidden from view.

  16. Specifications:

    1. Dimensions relate to the size of the actual image or artwork itself.

    2. Framed size is the total size of the artwork including any framing.

    3. Paper size indicates the measurement of the paper support if artwork is contained within a sheet but does not take up the entire surface area.

    4. Weight can refer to different things depending on the type of art. For artworks not on paper, weight typically refers to the physical mass or heft of the materials that comprise the artwork. For works on paper, this refers to the thickness or grammage of the material used as the ground or support for the art.

  17. Signature: Determines whether the piece is signed or not. The free text field for Signature Notes below allows you to provide key information about the signature including location, media, form, date, etc.

  18. Public Info: Select "Make Piece Public" if you would like this piece to appear on your Artwork Archive Public Profile.

  19. Link to Purchase Piece: Add a sales link here to direct buyers on your Public Profile to an outside website or link when they click the "Purchase" button.

  20. Collections: Collections allow you to visually categorize the artwork in your inventory for easy organization. Create Collections to sort works by subject, size, material, date, status, etc. You are then able to share these curated Collections on your Public Profile or embed each one on your own website.

  21. Location: Locations are typically used for places where you sell your art (gallery, fair, shop, etc) and/or places you have your art stored (alternate studio, storage facility, etc). It's also a feature that helps track where your artwork is at any time and works directly with our exhibition feature.


Fields Available Once a Piece Record is Created:

Once a Piece Record is created, you will be able to view all of the information for that particular piece in one place. You will also have access to the following:

  • Various options to provide additional details about the piece, such as creating related Expenses and attaching Additional Files.

  • The ability to access and download your original high-resolution images of the piece.

The record will allow you to comprehensively document and manage information about the specific piece of art.

  1. Individual Piece Menu Options

    1. New Report: Generate a Portfolio Page, Catalog Page, and a Certificate of Authenticity for this specific piece.

    2. Edit: Edit the details of this Piece Record.

    3. Copy: Duplicate this Piece Record for similar artworks. Click here to learn what information is copied over.

    4. Register Sale: Log details when this artwork is sold, including the buyer, sale location, and sale price. The piece's new location can be logged within the buyer's Contact Record.

    5. Donate: Log details if you donate this piece to an auction, charity event, or other organization.

    6. Gift: Log details if you gift this artwork to an individual, charity, or organization.

  2. Primary Image: This is the first image you will see in your inventory and the main image viewers will see if you decide to share on Reports or on your Public Profile. You can choose which of your images is the primary image when editing the Piece Record.

  3. Additional Images: Where your additional images of your artwork will appear to show different angles, details, or contexts.

  4. Video Links: Where you can view your Youtube or Vimeo links added that relate to your piece. Examples include video installations, performance pieces, process videos, artist talks, etc.

  5. Key Piece Details & Status: This section shows the key details about the piece, including the medium, price, tags, and collections it belongs to. You can also change the status of the artwork (e.g. Available, Sold, Reserved) in this area.

  6. Description: The description field for a piece can contain any information you wish to be public alongside the image (if you choose to make your piece public). This could be a brief description of the inspiration or process behind the piece to photo credits. This free field is optional and does not need to be filled out if you do not wish to do so.

  7. Notes: Where you can see your private notes or reminders about the artwork that won't be publicly displayed, such as materials used or personal memories associated with the piece.

  8. Signature Info: Detail information about the signature on the artwork, including its location, date, and any other relevant details that verify its authenticity.

  9. Public Status: Select if this artwork should be publicly visible or remain private in your Artwork Archive account. Additionally, access the unique link associated with this piece.

  10. Original Image Files: Manage, download, or share the high-resolution or original image files of your artwork from this section.

  11. Delete Piece: Remove this artwork record from your inventory. This action is typically irreversible, so use it with caution.

  12. Activity Log: View a record of most recent activities and updates made to this Piece Record.

  13. Current Location: Specify the current physical location of the artwork, useful for tracking and managing your inventory.

  14. Location History: Track and review the history of where the artwork has been displayed or stored.

  15. Provenance: Document the history of ownership and custody of the artwork, proving its authenticity and contributing to its value.

  16. Exhibition History: List the exhibitions where this artwork has been displayed, including dates, locations, and event names.

  17. Publication History: Record instances where the artwork has been published or featured in media and literature.

  18. Original Editions: If this work has been used as the "master" for creating editions, those editions will be listed in this section.

  19. Runs / Reproductions: Any Runs / Reproductions made from this piece will be displayed in this section.

  20. Additional Files: Upload and manage additional documents or files related to the artwork, such as certificates of authenticity or related correspondence.

  21. Expenses: Record and track expenses related to the artwork, including framing, materials, and shipping costs, to help in understanding the total investment in the piece.

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