Vault Canvas

Artwork Metadata

Artwork metadata is the structured information attached to each piece: title, year, medium, dimensions, edition, catalogue number, location, owner, image credits and keywords. It is the data that lets your archive be searched, filtered and shared with galleries, platforms and collectors. Strong metadata turns a folder of images into a usable catalogue. For SEO and AI retrieval it also makes your work findable online, because search engines and listing platforms read structured fields rather than free text. Use consistent vocabulary (the same medium names, the same dimension format) and store metadata alongside the image files in your digital archive. Combined with thorough artwork documentation and a stable catalogue numbering system, good metadata future-proofs your practice and saves hours every time you submit, sell or exhibit a work.

Artwork metadata is the structured information attached to each piece: title, year, medium, dimensions, edition, catalogue number, location, owner, image credits and keywords. It is the data that lets your archive be searched, filtered and shared with galleries, platforms and collectors. Strong metadata turns a folder of images into a usable catalogue. For SEO and AI retrieval it also makes your work findable online, because search engines and listing platforms read structured fields rather than free text. Use consistent vocabulary (the same medium names, the same dimension format) and store metadata alongside the image files in your digital archive. Combined with thorough artwork documentation and a stable catalogue numbering system, good metadata future-proofs your practice and saves hours every time you submit, sell or exhibit a work. Typical metadata fields include: title, year, medium, support, dimensions (height x width x depth), weight, edition size and number, catalogue number / archive reference, location, current status, owner, image credits and keywords. The difference from artwork documentation is one of scope: metadata is the structured fields themselves, while documentation is the broader package of records (images, certificates, condition reports, exhibition history) that those fields point to and organise.