PRESCRIBED WORKS OF ART 2023/24
A photo archive is a collection of images depicting works of art in different media. Today’s digital museum collections are the successors to the Art History photo archive which originated in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Photo archives are a depository of a much broader range of sources than most museum databases. They often include: images from exhibition catalogues, auctions, private collections museums, and art books. Photo archives have been used – and continue to be used – by art historians, art dealers, and curators, many of whom leave notes identifying incorrect attributions, bibliographic suggestions, and useful comments.
Most of photo archives remain undigitised or very poorly digitised. London has two important photo archives listed below (in addition to two online resources). You are not expected to visit or use either of these. I include them here, however, should you be working at either the Courtauld or the Warburg.
Bibliotheca Hertziana photographic collection, Rome: https://www.biblhertz.it/en/photographic-collection
A good resource on Roman collections, including prints. Can be a little tricky to use.
RKD, The Hague: https://rkd.nl/en/explore/images
While mainly focused on Dutch and Flemish works of art, they have a small collection of Italian prints and drawings, some of which are digitised.
The Warburg Photographic Collection, London: https://warburg.sas.ac.uk/photographic-collection/using-the-photographic-collection
Arranged according to subject matter. Excellent photo archive.
The Witt Library, Courtauld Institute of Art, London: https://sites.courtauld.ac.uk/digitalmedia/category/the-witt-library/
Unfortunately most of the Witt remains undigitised. For anyone living or spending time in London, it’s worth visiting. Images are divided into folders according to artist.
© POLITICS, ART AND CULTURE IN THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE: VENICE AND FLORENCE – CATALOGUE OF WORKS OF ART | 2023/24