Research the Collection
Conduct original research on objects from the Smart’s collection using the request form below.
Access the collection digitally to view photos, artwork dates, medium, credit lines, object numbers, publication info, and more as available.
How to Browse the Online Collection
Ways to Browse
On the homepage, you can browse curated selections from our collection. Including work from the collection currently on view, recent acquisitions, the H.C. Westermann Study Collection, and the Art to Live With collection.
By clicking on the People tab, you can browse by artist, individuals, and/or institutions related to artworks and objects in the collection. View all works by an artist, alongside relevant biographies and publications if applicable.
On the homepage, click the “View all works” button to access the Smart’s full permanent collection. You can view and sort the collection by title, by date, object number, artist name, and last updated. There are also search functionalities and filter options.
Ways to Search
QUICK SEARCH
Enter keywords or names in the search box (Quick Search) to find objects or other records in our collection.
ADVANCED SEARCH
To search on specific criteria, you can use the advanced search to search within certain data fields. You can search using multiple criteria, such as the term “portrait” in the title + a date range of “1800-1900”. If you are not getting any results with advanced search, try broadening your search by removing criteria.
SEARCH TIPS
- You can use an * (asterisk) as a wildcard in searches, to match partial terms (e.g. draw* will return results for draw, drawn, drawings, etc.)
- Use quotation marks to get more exact results – e.g. John Doe will return any results with John or Doe, but “John Doe” will return results with this exact phrase
How to Use Filters
You can view a set of results in an image grid or list view. Use the dropdown to switch between different types of views.
There are different types of search results, such as object records and people records. When there is more than one type of result, you can choose different types of records to view.
You can refine a result set by using filters to narrow down results. For example, you can filter to see only works that have images or are currently on view at the Museum within any result set. You can also clear each filter to revert to a larger result set, or clear all filters to get to your original result set.
How to Use Favorites
WHAT ARE FAVORITES?
Favorites allows you to create your own sets from the collection objects available on this site. You can share your Favorites with others, or create sets of artworks for your own viewing (Favorites are private by default).
You can optionally add a description for each Favorites set. You can view your collection sets by going to the “Favorites” page and logging into your account.
HOW DO I USE FAVORITES?
To use Favorites, you must first register an account. Once you have completed registration, you can start creating Favorites sets and adding artworks to them.
You can add artworks to your sets by clicking on the heart symbol while viewing objects, and selecting which set to add the artwork(s). After selection, you can choose to add all selected works on the page to a Favorite. You can also add the entire result set or all objects on a page.
HOW DO I SHARE A FAVORITE WITH SOMEONE ELSE?
If you mark your Favorites set public, this Favorite will be visible to others in the Community Favorites section. The option to mark a set as public is available when you edit your Favorite.
After setting a Favorite set as public, you can also share the link to allow others to view your set.
How to Read Object Details
Once an object in the collection is clicked on, you can view multiple views of the object and/or previous installation views if applicable. You’ll also have access to available object details, detailed below.
Maker: Artist(s) name tied to the artwork, including nationality and life dates. You can click on the artist’s name to view the full scope of objects in the collection from the relevant individual.
Date: Year associated with the artwork’s completion. If not known, this field may read “n.d.”
Medium: The medium/material(s) of the object.
Dimensions: The approximate size of the object. Further details, such as the dimensions of the frame, mat, or pedestal, may be available. Presented in inches and centimeters.
Copyright: Displayed if applicable to artwork ownership. For questions on rights and reproductions, fill out the request form on our website.
Credit Line: Provides an attribution for a gift of art, bequest, or museum purchase. Learn more about the Smart’s efforts on object provenance at the Museum’s Provenance Research tab.
Collections: Indicates if the object is part of an online collection or is currently on view at the Smart. You can click to see more of the relevant collection at the link provided on the object page.
Object Number: AKA the object’s accession number. This cataloguing tool tells the story of the object’s acquisition or entrance into the Smart’s permanent collection. Each piece of information is separated by a period. The first half of the number indicates the year the object entered the collection. The second half of the number indicates what number accessioned object it is for the current year. A third numbered segment may be present if there are multiple objects or pieces belonging to one artwork.
For example, if an object number reads 1970.2.a, that would mean the object entered the collection in 1970 and was the second object acquired by the Museum that year. It’s also the first piece of a group of items making up one artwork.
Status: Lets you know whether the object is currently on view at the Smart.
Description: If available, a curatorial description may be included from a previous Smart publication or label.
Smart Publications: If present, indicates if this object was previously featured in a publication or exhibition catalogue at the Smart. To see if the corresponding publication is available for purchase, visit our Publications page.