Database Structure
The data structure of Pictura is based on the domain standard of VRA core 4.0 and the description of resources follows the Cataloging Cultural Objects guidelines. The repository contains records that can have three main types: Collections, Images and Works. Records are assigned persistent identifiers (handles).
Works represent information about artworks, while Images represent depictions of artworks. Collections group Images or Artworks together based on specific criteria, such as their origin. Records are linked together e.g. images to collections they are a part of and to works they depict, but also works can reference broader works (an alter is a component of a church, a painting may be part of a triptych etc.).
Record structure:
- Titles
- Descriptions
- Creators and contributors
- Datations
- Locations
- Materials and techniques
- Subjects
- Inscriptions
- Edition and state
- Relation to other resources
- Access rights and licenses
- Information about the physical storage of the object
Controlled vocabularies are used to describe the content of the database where possible:
Art & Architecture Thesaurus (AAT) includes terms required to catalog, discover, and retrieve information about art, architecture, and other visual cultural heritage. The terms are structured hierarchically. AAT has not yet been translated into Czech. Pictura uses AAT to describe the type of records, the materials and techniques used as well as roles of people participating on the making of the work, and even the subject of the described resources.
Union List of Artist Names (ULAN) is an authority for identifying artists.
Iconclass is a comprehensive classification system for describing the content of images (their iconography).
GeoNames a geographical database covering all countries and containing over eleven million placenames including their coordinates and place in each countries administrative divisions. It is used to enable searching based on geographic locations related to the records.
Strict VRA core 4.0 terms are used to specify types of titles, descriptions, relations and so on.
Persistent Identifiers
Top-level collections are assigned DOIs, which are intended for citing the use of data in the database in one's own research. Individual records within the repository are intended to be referenced using their assigned handle identifier. We cannot guarantee long-term stability for other forms of links to the database content.
Rights
Each record contains basic rights information.
Rights status
- copyrighted: Records where copyright applies, even if they may be published under an open license that allows for reuse.
- public domain: More than 70 years since the death of the creator or since publication if creator is unknown.
- undetermined: Records where the rights status is unknown, especially older images may not have been preserved along with information about the creator or publication date.
If you are aware of any additional information regarding the records in the database that may be relevant for more precisely determining the rights status, please let us know.
Access rights
- open access: The record and associated media (images) are accessible online to anyone.
- restricted access: The record and associated media (images) are accessible only to registered members of the primary community responsible for the record or of subcommunities linked to the record. Data curators of the community decide who can become a member and/or contributor. To request access, fill in the registration form to Pictura.
- metadata only access: The metadata of records are accessible to anyone online but the media (images) are available only after registration and becoming a member of a group granting access to the resource.
- embargoed access: The record will become accessible after a certain date (e.g. once the record becomes public domain or a number of years after a research project ends).
License
The license applies to the media of the record (photographs). All metadata is free to use (CC0).
- Creative Commons licences
- Licence of the MUNI ARTS Department of Art History
- Unknown
Browse and Search
Data can be browsed by collection or via map or searched using text based queries or facets.
Comparison feature
Every record can be added/removed from the comparison list. When at least two items are selected for comparison, you can display them in a table next to each other by clicking on the floating "Compare Items" button in the bottom right.
Documentation
Technical documentation of Pictura is available on GitHub.
A structured metadata description of Iconotheca is available in Metasys.