Beneficiaries

Catalogue raisonné projects have social, cultural, and financial ramifications for the region, with several beneficiaries:

Artists

A catalogue raisonné is the best tool for understanding an artist’s output. It allows readers to view every work – from the formative years to mature production and the late period – and form a better understanding of the artist’s impact on cultural history. This published reference creates a reliable resource that validates an artist’s known production and documents their legacy.

Institutions

Museums seldom lead on catalogue raisonné research, as the endeavor is cost-prohibitive and administratively complex. While works by a particular artist may be integral to their collection, they may lack the resources to carry out in-depth research on a single artist. However, the research departments of these institutions stand to benefit greatly from easy and fast access to data that will become available through catalogue raisonné projects. Such initiatives can lead to a better understanding of their collections and facilitate new exhibitions as well as multidisciplinary collaborations with universities and art-market professionals.

Universities and art historians

Catalogue raisonné is a great recourse for experienced scholars as well as for students who are working with their thesis. Moreover, catalogue raisonné projects will create more professional routes for highly trained young graduates while adding to academic curricula. They will help maintain high levels of connoisseurship and put research skills to the best possible use.  

One of NAI’s ambitions is to foster conversations between academics, museum personnel, and market professionals, building understanding of their distinct and shared needs. Through catalogue raisonné projects, experienced scholars can transfer knowledge, methodologies and the highest ethical standards of professional conduct to the next generation.

The economy

The art market has various participants – including collectors, galleries, and auction houses – who can benefit from catalogue raisonné projects. By creating a reliable resource for information on artist’s works, the catalogue raisonne provides the art market with credible and vetted information. Ultimately, the revenue generated from art market transactions on these artists aids in the production and promotion of regional art and culture and the funding of new initiatives in the art community at large.

New technologies

While NAI does not exclude print publications, online catalogues raisonnés offer greater advantages, granting immediate access to information from anywhere in the world, and allowing for content to be updated as new information becomes available. Unconstrained by page counts, online platforms can also publish extensive archival materials, such as historical photographs, correspondence, criticism and financial records.