Understanding British Portraits

unique Identifier

what is the main reference number for the work?

previous reference numbers?

catalogue number

full reference for catalogue

accession number

inventory number

handlist number

collection number

sitter

name

main name

case study

first name

maiden name

married name

pseudonym

nickname

preferred name

former name

library of congress name authority

census returns

case study

dates

earliest date

birth date

general register office

census online

case study

baptismal date

family search, international genealogical index

floruit date (fl.)

marriage date(s)

general register office

latest date

death date

general register office

burial date

date of probate

probate records

date of will

national register of archives, wills

occupation

general, e.g. scientist

specific, e.g. chemist

case study

membership of organizations

education

qualifications

honorifcs

attributes: objects associated with the sitter's status, position, work, role or character

case study

dress: ceremonial, uniform, professional, theatrical, political, social

published works; diaries; correspondence

case study

nationality

British

English

Welsh

title

foretitle

Sir

Dame

Lord

Lady

aristocratic title

identity

case study

family history

case study

biography

oxford dnb

oxford dnb guide to names, titles, dates, occupations, and more

world biographical information system

the clergy of the Church of England database

artist

name

main name

first name(s)

pseudonym

maiden name

married name(s)

nickname

preferred name

library of congress name authority

getty union list of artist names

oxford dnb

title

dates

birth date

death date

floruit date (fl.)

earliest date

latest date

baptismal date

registration date

occupation

education

membership of organizations

honorifics

nationality

painter

miniature painter

watercolour painter

sculptor

photographer

silhouettist

draughtsman

watercolour painter

printmaker

engraver

etcher

lithographer

caricaturist

medallist

wax modeller

style and technique

sitters books

case study

portraiture

biography

national portrait gallery, search collections

oxford dnb, search people and images

date of work

firm date?

evidence?

attributed date?

basis of attribution?

inscription

contemporary

in whose hand?

later

heraldic

college of arms

signature

monogram

initials

institutional

location on work?

sitter's age

sitter's vital dates?

costume evidence

dress

contemporary

historicized

fancy

occupational

ecclesiastical

legal

academic

the burgon society

scientific

the royal society picture collections

medical

the wellcome institute iconographic collection

armed services

national maritime museum, collections

jewellery

marriage

commemmorative

family

medals

the british museum, coins and medals

national army museum

insignia

hairstyle

the costume society

case study

artist's oeuvre

sitter book entry?

artist's style

artist's life dates?

known status of work

ad vivum?

picture frame

maker

style

materials

techniques

date of manufacture

original frame?

labels on frame

national portrait gallery, the art of the picture frame

conservation records

survey

report

specialized photography

earliest possible date?

sitter's life dates

case study

artist's life dates

latest possible date?

sitter's life dates

artist's life dates

case study

form

painting

sculpture

bust

statue

life mask

death mask

head

drawing

photograph

daguerrotype

silver...

bromide print

mixed media

plastic, acrylic paint and wire

print

engraving

line engraving

steel plate

stipple engraving

copper plate

hand-coloured engraving

etching

lithograph

npg archive

british museum print room

ashmolean museum, western art print room

miniature

eye portrait

set in a locket/bracelet/brooch/snuffbox

cabinet miniature

v&a paintings and drawings

tomb effigy

silhouette

caricature

british museum print room

medal

british museum coins and medals

view

whole-length

three-quarters length

half-length

head and shoulders

head only

full-face

profile

head turned to left

head turned to right

facing left

facing right

size

is the portrait two or three dimensional?

odl.ox.ac.uk > Oxfordportraits > Portrait ? ...

is the portrait rectangular, square, circular, oval, irregular in shape?

metric and imperial

height before width

previously recorded measurements

documentary source?

first-hand measurements

sight-size

to inner edge of frame

actual size

what are you measuring?

to outer edges of frame

to outer edges of stretcher

to inner edge of mount

to base of bust

diameter of oval

type

individual

double

group

pendent

marriage

family

conversation piece

title of work

sitter's name

family's name

group name

popular name

descriptive title

exhibition title

former title

provenance

what is the recorded history of ownership?

what is the evidence for ownership?

note breaks in the provenance with start and end dates for gap

note gaps in the record

exhibition catalogues

title of catalogue

date of exhibition

catalogue number

location of exhibition

name of lender

case study

sale catalogues

name of auction house

date of sale

lot number

vendor's name

buyer's name

cross reference from auction house stamps to individual catalogue entries

digital image of stocknumber

annotated catalogues in auction houses and NPG archive

Lugt; online archives

national art library

Christie's muniment room

case study

scipio index of sales catalogues

Lugt's Repertoire online

accessions registers

date of accession

accession number

type of accession

bequest

source of bequest

gift

name of donor

purchase

name of vendor

loan

name of lender

inventories

house inventory

name of house

owner of house

collection inventory

location of collection

collection owner

artists' sitterbooks

NPG archive

Royal Academy

Royal Society of Portrait Painters

date of portrait commission

date of portrait completion

artists' papers register

national register of archives

case study

diaries

sitter

case study

sitter's friends

british library manuscripts catalogue

correspondence

sitter

case study

recipients

national art library

minutes of meetings

financial accounts

wills

national register of archives, wills

case study

insurance valuations

labels, stamps

on frame

numbers in chalk, ink, or adhesive stickers

lot number

catalogue number

frame-maker's business name and address

owner's name

former owner's name

on stretcher

auction house stock numbers

case study

artist's name and address

on mount

donor

case study

location

collection name

institution name

display case number

album number

room number

geographical location

reference images

has the portrait been reproduced?

prints

engravings

etchings

photographs

transparencies

digital image files/ numbers

copies

posthumous

studio

is the portrait a reproduction?

credit line

npg picture library

medium

paint

oil

acylic

tempera

watercolour

bodycolour

gouache

marble

Carrara marble

pastel

charcoal

chalk

sanguine

black

white

graphite

stone

granite

Coade stone

metal

bronze

wax

ivory

silk

getty art and architecture thesaurus

support

wooden panel

oak

canvas

linen

paper

wove

cream wove

heavy wove

rough

India

coloured paper

grey/blue/cream paper

copper

parchment

vellum

ivory

board

national portrait gallery, British painters and artists' suppliers

frame

status

ad vivum

does the portrait convey vitality?

artist's version

artist's copy

artist and studio

studio copy

contemporary copy

later copy

variant version

variant copy

prime version

exhibition history?

case study

reduced-size copy

preparatory study

are areas of the portrait unresolved? does it look like a sketch or model?

posthumous copy

national portrait gallery curatorial staff

national portrait gallery archive

case study

sample resources for researching a portrait

all case studies

Recording Core Data for a Portrait