Collecting
What an artwork certificate records
By Beate Marie Pique ·
A certificate is not a decorative extra. It records which physical example belongs to which photographic artwork, finish and edition.
Identity of the example
At Beate Marie Photography, the certificate lists the details that connect an example to the wider body of work. These are verifiable facts, not a prediction of financial value.
- Title of the artwork
- Name of the artist
- Year
- Dimensions
- Material and finish
- Edition number and total edition size
- Serial number
- Signature
- Production date
- Image of the artwork
The relationship to the edition
The edition number identifies one example within the total published edition. That edition applies to the artwork as a whole. Each artwork has one fixed size, and there are no Artist's Proofs outside the stated edition.
Read more about limited editionsKeep it with the artwork documentation
Keep the certificate and edition information safely with your documentation, but preferably not permanently against the artwork itself. If the work is ever transferred, these details should remain with the example.
To help prevent misuse, no fillable certificate template or information about security features is published.