ordicio

Collecting guide

How to Collect Art

Paintings, drawings, prints, sculpture, photography and other works of art.

An artwork’s value rests on what can be proven about it: who made it, when, and through whose hands it passed. Museums and auction houses keep these facts in a standard way, and a collection kept the same way is easier to insure, lend, research and eventually sell.

Getting Started

ordicio divides fine art by object type, following the Getty Art & Architecture Thesaurus:

Collectors often follow an artist, a movement, a medium such as prints, or a region. Prints and photographs are a good way to own works by major artists at accessible prices.

What to Record

Condition

Note the condition the way a conservator would: losses, retouching, relining or restoration, foxing and fading on paper, and the state of the frame. Keep conservation reports with the work’s record.

Care and Storage

Hang works away from direct sunlight, radiators and damp walls. Frame works on paper with acid-free mounts and UV-filtering glazing. Keep temperature and humidity steady.

Mistakes to Avoid

Kinds of Fine Art

The Data Sheet for Fine Art

The 35 fields worth recording for fine art, grouped as in the ordicio app.

Identification

The core of a catalogue entry.

Title Text
The title or name the object is known by, as given by its maker, publisher or catalogue.
Artist Text
Artist's name as in the Getty ULAN or the catalogue raisonné; add 'attributed to', 'circle of', 'after' when not certain.
Artist details Text
Nationality and life dates of the artist, e.g. German, 1880-1938.
Attribution Choice
How certain the attribution is, in the terms auction houses use.
  • By the artist
  • Attributed to
  • Workshop / studio of
  • Circle of
  • Follower / school of
  • Manner of
  • After (copy)
  • Unknown artist
Date made Text
Date of the work as known, e.g. 1912, c. 1650, 1960s.
Medium & support Text
Materials and support as in a catalogue entry, e.g. oil on canvas, watercolour and gouache on paper.
Genre Choice, or your own
Subject genre.
  • Portrait
  • Landscape
  • Still life
  • Religious / mythological / history
  • Genre scene
  • Cityscape / architecture
  • Marine
  • Animal
  • Nude / figure
  • Abstract
Style / movement Text
Style, movement or school, e.g. Impressionism, Die Brücke, Bauhaus, Pop Art.
Subject Text
What the object depicts or is about.

Measurements

Height (cm) Number
Height, measured upright as the object is meant to stand or hang.
Width (cm) Number
Width, measured from the front.
Depth (cm) Number
Depth, measured from front to back.
Framed Choice
Presentation of the work.
  • Framed
  • Unframed
  • Mounted / matted
  • Stretched (unframed)
Frame size Text
Outer dimensions of the frame, height x width x depth.

Signature & marks

Signature, inscriptions, labels and stamps on the front and back.

Signature Choice
Whether and how the work is signed.
  • Signed
  • Signed and dated
  • Monogrammed
  • Estate stamp / signature
  • Signed in the plate
  • Unsigned
Inscriptions & marks Text
Signatures, labels, stamps, hallmarks, maker's marks and numbers, transcribed as they appear and with their position.

Documentation

Where the work is recorded and has been shown.

Catalogue raisonné Text
Number in the artist's catalogue raisonné (or work catalogue), with author and year.
Certificate / expertise Text
Certificates of authenticity or expert opinions, with issuer, date and number.
Exhibitions Text
Exhibitions the work was shown in, with venue and year.
Literature Text
Publications that mention or illustrate the work.
Reference link Link
Web page about this object or its reference entry (catalogue, database, sale).

Condition

Condition Choice
Overall condition in plain terms; domains with an established grading scale use that scale instead.
  • Mint / as new
  • Excellent
  • Very good
  • Good
  • Fair
  • Poor
Condition notes Text
Faults, wear and damage in detail.
Restoration & repairs Text
Restorations, repairs, replaced parts and cleaning, with who did them and when if known.

Acquisition

How and when the object came into the collection.

Acquisition date Date
Date the object came into the collection.
Acquisition method Choice, or your own
How the object came into the collection.
  • Purchase
  • Auction
  • Gift
  • Inheritance
  • Exchange / trade
  • Self-collected / found
  • Commission
Acquired from Text
Seller, auction house (with sale and lot number), donor or place where it was found.
Purchase price Amount
Price paid including fees and premiums.
Provenance Text
Earlier owners and the object's history, oldest first, with sources (labels, invoices, sale catalogues).

Value

Estimated and insured value.

Estimated value Amount
Current market value as estimated.
Valuation date Date
Date of the current value estimate.
Valuation basis Choice
What the estimated value is based on.
  • Own estimate
  • Recent sales / auction results
  • Dealer offer
  • Catalogue value
  • Professional appraisal
  • Insurance valuation
Insured value Amount
Sum the object is insured for.

Collection record

Your own inventory data.

Inventory number Text
Your own number or label for the object, e.g. C-0042, as written on its label or album page.
Storage location Text
Where the object is kept, e.g. room, cabinet, drawer, album and page, box.

Standards and References

The data sheets follow the standards collectors, dealers and museums use:

Updated October 24, 2026