Latest Catalogue
Derbyshire
|
Introduction to the projectThe United Kingdom holds in its galleries and civic buildings arguably the greatest publicly owned collection of oil paintings in the world. However, an alarming four in five of these paintings are not on view. Whilst many galleries make strenuous efforts to display their collections, too many paintings across the country are held in storage, usually because there are insufficient funds and space to show them. Furthermore, very few galleries have created a complete photographic record of their paintings, let alone a comprehensive illustrated catalogue of their collections. In short, what is publicly owned is not publicly accessible. The Public Catalogue Foundation, a registered charity, has three aims. First, it intends to create a complete record of the national collection of oil, tempera and acrylic paintings in public ownership. Second, it intends to make this accessible to the public through a series of affordable catalogues and, after a suitable delay, through a free Internet website. Finally, it aims to raise funds through the sale of the catalogues in the collections, for the conservation, restoration and physical exhibition of works that are rarely on display as well as gallery education related to the catalogues. The initial focus of the project is on collections outside London. Highlighting the richness and diversity of collections outside the capital should bring major benefits to regional collections around the country, including a revenue stream for conservation and restoration, the digitisation of their collections and publicity for the collections through the published county catalogues. These substantial benefits to galleries around the country come at no financial cost to the collections themselves. The project should be of enormous benefit and inspiration to students of art and to members of the general public with an interest in art. It will also provide a major source of organised material for scholarly research into art history.
|
)
