The catalogue of Italian art with iconographical analysis, realized with the use of the computer

• Autore: Fabio Bisogni
• Carica: Docente di Sioria delta tradizione classica nell'arte europea presso I'Universita di Siena
• Pagine: 93-102

For further information, contact: The Secretary of The Catalogue of Italian Art, The University of Siena, Faculty of Letters and Philosophy, Via Fieravecchia 19 - 53100 Siena (Italy). Telephone: (0577) 284152.

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@Introduction to the project

In 1972, Prof, Fabio Bisogni was put In charge of the realization of an iconographical Index of Italian painting at Villa I Tatti, the Harvard University Center for Italian Renaissance Studies, In Florence.

This Index was Intended to Include the Iconography of saints In Italian painting, since Prof. Bisogni had worked for more than ten years on the third and fourth volumes of Iconography of Saints in Italian Painting, as a continuation of the series by George Kaftal.

After mature consideration and extensive study, the conclusion was reached that the use of the computer would be the best solution for the realization of this project, and Prof. Myron GIlmore then director of Villa I Tattl, obtained for this purpose a generous grant from the Kress Foundation, for a period of five years.

For about two years a preliminary study was made by Prof. Bisogni and several technicians of IBM, especially Dr. 'Gianluigi Spada and It was finally decided to adopt the STAIRS (Storage and Information Retrieval System), since this seemed to be the system best equipped to satisfy the scope of this project.

At this point, an agreement was made with CNUCE, Institute of CNR In Pisa, for the realization of a pilot project. The CNUCE has provided Its machines, and Dr, Anna Pla Cuscito has been In charge of the creation andPage 94 management of the data bases. Her contribution to the development and continual up-dating or the work has been invaluable.

For the pilot project, the Trecento Mminese school of painting was chosen, because of the short existence of this school, and the relatively small amount of material it-involves. The pilot project was carried out by Prof. Fabio BIsogni with the collaboration of Dr. Laura Corti.

At the same time the following decision was taken: The Index was not to be limited to the iconography of saints, but was to Include all subject matter represented in the works of art under study. It was also decided to Include all Information obtainable relative to each painting, such as, besides the author, school, period, and location, other items: the Inventory number or catalogue number, the medium used, the type of the work, present condition, provenance, size, restorations, bibliography and photographkal references,

In the Spring of 1975, Prof. Giovanni Previtali, Dean of the Faculty of Letters and Philosophy of the University of Siena, recognizing the merits and the utility of this project, made possible the association of the University of Siena with Villa I TattI, for the purpose of the creation of the section dealing with Sienese art, the ´Corpus of Sienese Artª.

The first stage of this section, which includes Sienese painting and illumination of the XIIIth century, was undertaken by an equipe of young scholars, affiliated with the University of Siena, and the basic material will be completely memorized by the end of 1978.

At the same time, Prof. Paola Barocchi, Professor of the History of Art Criticism at the Scuola Normale Superiore of Pisa, and Professor Ulrlch MIddeldorf, acting in the role of consultant, requested to be associated with the project, through a programme at the Scuola Normale Superiore, concerning the study: of documentary material (information obtained from archival and primary sources) relating to the history of art collecting.

The first 'nucleus of documents under study concerns the Collection of Cardinal Leopoldo de Medici.

As a first step, the entire body of material (Inventories and correspondance equivalent to over 2,000 STAIRS documents) connected with the collection of Cardinal Leopoldo de' Medici, which later became the major part of the Pittl and Uffizi Galleries, has been checked and memorized.

This section of the project Is particularly Important for Its value In the recovery of provenances and old attributions, for a historical survey of the tastes of the period, or of the economical values, etc.

Following this development, and taking Into account the Increased possibilities of collecting material, the project outline, that is, the scheme according to which the mass of material to be Included Is organized, was expanded.

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Through the concatenation of the data bases, all these three sections can be merged into a single archive, so that through the research procedure, archival documents can be joined to the object of art to which they refer. Once this merging process Is achieved, a new and definitive STAIRS document can be created, In which all the Information pertaining to an object of art Is unified.

@Description of the project

The Catalogue of Italian Art with Iconographical Analysis Is not intended as an Inventory restricted to geographical nuclei and diachronic divisions, but instead as a research instrument, the preparation of which Is based upon criteria which are traditionally accepted and universally employed.

If the History of Art in its true sense is in fact none other than the reconstruction of artistic personalities and movements, that is, the history of ´styleª, the criteria followed In the preparation of a catalogue of this sort must take Into consideration the necessity of making Its research material valuable in accordance with this- concept.

Thus, the underlying principle which guides this project...