Skip to Main Content

How to Research an Artist: Catalogues Raisonnés

An introduction to finding information about visual artists, architects, fashion designers etc.... Guide by Miguel Rosales.

Catalogues Raisonnés Collection

 

 

The Catalogue Raisonnés Collection is located and requestable at the reference desk in the Art & Architecture Collection. According to some scholars, not all the volumes in our reference desk collection constitute catalogue raisonnés. Some of the books included provide the closest listing of all the works of an artist that is currently available. Raisonnés dealing with etchings, lithographs, and prints are housed in our Print Collection, Room 308.

What is a Catalogue Raisonné?

A catalogue raisonné is a comprehensive, annotated listing of all the known works of an artist either in a particular medium or all media. They may provide some or all of the following:

  • Title and title variations
  • Dimension/Size
  • Date of the work
  • Medium
  • Current location/owner at time of publication
  • Provenance (history of ownership)
  • Exhibition history
  • Condition of the work
  • Bibliography/Literature that discusses the work
  • Essay(s) on the artist
  • Critical assessments and remarks
  • Full description of the work
  • Signatures, Inscriptions, and Monograms of the artist
  • Reproduction of each work
  • List of works attributed, lost, destroyed, and fakes
  • Catalog number

A catalogue raisonné (French for a reasoned catalogue) is an attempt to create an oeuvre for an artist. Not only authenticating works of art by the artist, but may also include lost and forged art works.

Indexes

Below are books that can be used to determine whether there is a raisonné on a particular artist.

Library Catalog

In the Library’s Catalog, you need to search for an artist using Last Name, First Name in the ‘Subject’ field, such as: 

     Pollock, Jackson

The entries will look as follows:

     Pollock, Jackson, 1912–1956 – Catalogs
     Pollock, Jackson, 1912–1956 – Catalogues raisonnés
     Pollock, Jackson, 1912–1956 – Criticism and interpretation

However, not all raisonnés are identified in the Catalog; some may be listed under the subject: ‘Catalogs.’

Other terms that may be used in place of catalogue raisonné are:

  • Oeuvre
  • Catalogo Razonado
  • Catalogo Ragionato
  • Catalogo Generale
  • Opera Completa
  • Werkverzeichnis
  • Leben und Werk
  • Oeuvrekatalog
  • Complete Works
  • Critical Catalogue
  • Life and Work

Online Databases

If you are interested in finding out whether there is a raisonné on a particular artist you can search the Catalogue Raisonné Database provided by the International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR). In addition, you may want to consult the Index to Catalogues Raisonnés of Works on Paper by the Print Council of America (PCA).