WHAT IS THE CONDITION REPORT?
The document to know the state of conservation of a work of art
Among the documents that a careful art collector should keep in their physical and / or digital archive, we find the Condition Report.
But what is it about?
The Condition Report is the document that records the state of conservation of a work of art when it is carefully examined periodically or specifically on the occasion of a loan.
It provides for the compilation, only and exclusively by experts such as Restorers or Conservators, able to carefully check the presence of any physical damage, changes in the state of the material with which the work was made or simply as a periodic check, all with the compilation of a feedback form which is accompanied by a rich photographic reportage and eventual video.
The main functions of the Condition Report are:
- Check the state of conservation of the work during its travels, loans (before and after the exhibition) and sales, for example before an auction;
- Assessing damage and liability in case of damage.
When should a Condition Report be prepared?
- Before each transport of the work of art;
- When the work arrives at its destination in a museum, gallery or collector’s house, the document is updated;
- At the end of an exhibition, before the moment of packaging, to certify the state of the work;
- Upon returning to the starting point.
Among the technical information contained in a Condition Report we find:
- Author and title of the work
- Dimensions (with and without stand)
- Materials and technique
- Any restoration work
- Any conservation interventions, such as cleaning the surfaces from dust
- Complete photographic and / or video report to visually document the state of the work, any intervention moments with details and everything that the professional deems appropriate to attach
For this reason, the Art Manager of Art Rights, a platform for the management and certification of works of art, allows not only Collectors, but also Artists and Professionals in the sector to have a complete digital archive, implementing within the Certificate Art Rights all the technical information related to the Condition Report, always updated in total privacy and security.
And if you need an expert Restorer and Conservator to draw up the Condition Report of your work, consult our Art Concierge section to find the right one for you within the largest community of art professionals.
Photo credits: Lemmens Art Conservation
