The Global Catalogue Raisonné
GCR is building a provenance-grade identity and verification layer for artists, artworks, and ownership history — designed to serve researchers, institutions, and the public while protecting the integrity of the record through governance, permissions, and audit trails.
What it is
A catalogue raisonné is the most authoritative record of an artist’s works. GCR extends that concept into a modern, networked registry: persistent IDs for artists and artworks, groups for “same identity / same work” relationships, and a verification ledger that records who confirmed what, and on what basis.
Why this matters
Art data is fragmented across websites, PDFs, archives, and private records. Provenance can be hard to trace, identity can be duplicated, and claims can spread without accountability. GCR is designed to make the record clearer: identity is anchored, decisions are logged, and evidence can be attached to claims and confirmations.
Integrity
Verification actions are governed and logged. The goal is a durable record — not a fast, editable feed.
Institution-ready
Designed for institutional workflows: roles, permissions, and pathways for registrars and partners.
Public benefit
A clearer public index over time, while sensitive actions remain permissioned during rollout.
Rollout approach
GCR is being released in stages. Public browsing opens progressively as governance hardens: identity clustering rules, anti-spam controls, audit logging, and verification workflows. This “safety-first” rollout avoids the typical failure mode of registries: fast growth with weak integrity.
Who we’re speaking to
Institutions (museums, archives, libraries), researchers, catalogue raisonné authors, and funders who care about durable cultural infrastructure. If you want to collaborate, pilot a dataset, or support the project, reach out.
Partnerships / funding / institutional access
Email info@iartdb.org with a short note about who you are, what you’d like to do (pilot, data partnership, funding), and your timeline.