VPRS 1070 Catalogues of Works of Art

Full description

This series consists of early catalogues of works of art in the collection of the National Gallery of Victoria.

As of September 2010 there are three different records in this series. These are:

Unit 1, P0 consignment - "Catalogue of the Fine Arts Department of the Melbourne Public Library, July 8th 1869"

The cover and a title page indicate that the volume relates to the Fine Arts Department of the Melbourne Public Library. The title page also provides the date of this handwritten volume. The catalogue identifies items held by the Department under the following headings - Paintings; Engravings/Etchings; various categories of Lithographs, various categories of Photographs as well as a number of additional items such as coins, medals, seals, sculpture and books.

Unit 2, P0 consignment - "Catalogue of the Oil Paintings, Water-Colour Drawings, Engravings, Lithographs, Photographs in the National Gallery of Victoria"

This volume was published in 1879. Extra sheets were inserted into each folio and were used to record subsequent additions to the collection by hand until at least 1883.

Entries for each item identified includes the title of the work, its provenance and date of acquisition. An appendix contains a catalogue of books held by the Public Library of Victoria relating to fine arts.

Unit 3, P0 consignment - "List of Works of Art in [the] Gallery"

This record dates probably from 1885. It is a box that contains a number of pro forma sheets fastened together to form various art categories. Sheets record for each work listed, the name of the artist, name of subject, a brief description of the work, date received (if known), name of donor, price or value and remarks.