Goupil Stock Books

Table of Contents

• License
• Dataset description & scope
• General editorial guidelines
• Files
• Data dictionary

License

The Goupil stock books dataset is offered under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication.

Dataset Description & Scope

This dataset contains more than 43,000 records transcribed from the 15 stock books of Goupil & Cie/Boussod, Valadon & Cie in Paris (1846-1919). Read more about the Goupil stock books.

In general, stock books are administered by galleries and art dealers to record information about works of art that come into their inventories. Information from these stock books, of which the Goupil stock books are a prime example, includes the date of acquisition, dealer's costs, names of purchasers, dates of sales, and selling prices for works of art bought and sold by the gallery. Most of the information provided is written in French, but some may be in English. Some handwritten notes may not be included.

Data Dictionary & Editorial Guidelines

General editorial guidelines

Primarily, the dataset is a “verbatim” transcription of the stock books, meaning the editors transcribed exactly what was written in the source materials. However, as with many historical documents, there are inconsistencies and irregularities. To achieve a high level of accuracy and clarity, editorial changes were made during and post-transcription:

• Wherever possible, editors replaced shortcuts such as do, idem, a hashmark (#), or double quote mark (") with the actual word or name being referenced.

• Abbreviations may be spelled out.

• Information in brackets was added by PSCP editors. The title ‘[sans titre]’ was added when a title could not be found. See the ‘notes’ column below for more details about the use of brackets in specific fields.

• If <br> appears in the data, it indicates a link break. This may occur in any of fields with alphabetic in the data_type column below.

• Names of artists, buyers, and sellers of a work are validated by an internal authority database, which is the source of authority names, nationalities, and locations. Most artists have been validated, but many buyers and sellers have yet to be fully researched so the corresponding authority fields may be empty.

• Goupil recorded purchase, dealer’s cost, and sale prices using two alphabetic coding schemes. The main price codes and their translations are included, but transaction details such as commission, restoration, framing, depreciation, etc., can only be viewed using the Stock Books.

  The price coding schemes, which were handwritten by Dieterle on the title page of almost all of the stock books, are shown below:

  for stock books 1-7:   A=1; M=2; O=3; N=4; S=5; I=6; E=7; U=8; R=9; X=0; Z=0 (“a monsieur”)
  for stock books 8-15:  P=1; R=2; E=3; C=4; A=5; U=6; T=7; I=8; O=9; N=0; X=0; Z=0 Y=0 (“precaution”)
  

Files

• goupil.csv (52.5 MB)

Data dictionary

field_name	data_type	missing_values	field_description	field_example	public_notes
pi_record_no	alphanumeric	n/a	Unique Getty-assigned number of 1 to 5 digits prefaced with "G-".	G-24567
Multiple groups of stock book number fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _8, may occur.
stock_book_no_1	numeric	n/a	Number of the stock book in which the object appears.	7	See Goupil & Cie stock books
stock_book_gno_1	numeric	n/a	Stock number assigned by Goupil for the object.	6944
stock_book_pg_1	numeric	n/a	Page on which the record appears in the stock book.	96
stock_book_row_1	numeric	n/a	Row on the page where the record appears in the stock book.	8
Multiple groups of artist name fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _2, may occur.
artist_name_1	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim name of the first artist.	Van Schendel	Shortcuts such as "do" or "idem" are replaced by the actual name referenced.
art_authority_1	uppercase alphabetic	blank	Authority name for first artist, established by PSCP.	SCHENDEL, BERNARDUS VAN
nationality_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority for first artist's nationality, established by PSCP.	Dutch
attribution_mod1	alphabetic	blank	Text that modifies the first artist's name.	attribué à
attribution_auth_mod1	alphabetic	blank	Authority text of modifier used for Linked Open Data model.	attribué à
artist_ulan_id_1	numeric	blank	ULAN ID for first artist authority	500014268
title	alphabetic	blank	Titles are transcribed exactly as they appear in the stock books, including the spelling and punctuation.	Paysage avec moutons	Where possible, abbreviations are spelled out and shortcuts such as "do" and "idem" are replaced by the actual title or term referenced. The title "[sans titre]" is added when a title could not be found.
description	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim notes about provenance or purchase.	Ancien no 2104
subject	alphabetic	blank	One or more terms from a small controlled vocabularly developed by PSCP to describe the subject of an object.	Architecture, Batailles, Intérieurs, Marines, Militaire, Mythologie (figures), Mythologie (narratif), Paysage avec figures, Religieux (figures), Religieux (narratif), Ruines, Sporting, Vues topographiques	Terms are more granular than genre terms (see below). For example, an object titled "La Vierge à l'Enfant" would be assigned the genre term "Histoire" and the subject term "Religieux (figures)". Multiple values are concatenated with semi-colons.
genre	alphabetic	[not identified]	One term or more terms from a small controlled vocabulary developed by PSCP to describe the category of composition of the object.	Animaux; Genre; Historie, Nature Morte, Paysage, Portrait	Categories are based on the hierarchy of genres established by the French Academy in the 17th century (see Examples). Multiple values are concatenated with semi-colons.
object_type	alphabetic	blank	One term or more terms describing the kind of object.	Aquarelle; Dessin; Peinture; Sculpture; Tapisserie
materials	alphabetic	blank	Text describing the materials of object.	Argent; Esquisse au crayon; Gouache; Mine de plomb; Papier; Porcelain
dimensions	alphanumeric	blank	Text describing the dimensions of the object.	101 1/2 x 68 1/2	Dimensions for rectangular objects are given in this order: height, width, length. Other units may be used as appropriate for the object.
entry_date_year	numeric	blank	Year in which object entered the dealer's stock. For completeness, the year of the entry has been added in brackets when it does not appear in the stock book.	1875	If the same work was inventoried later, the entry year remains the same.
entry_date_month	numeric		Month of the year in which object entered the dealer's stock.	5	If the same work was inventoried later, the entry month remains the same.
entry_date_day	numeric		Day of the month in which object entered the dealer's stock.	15	If the same work was inventoried later, the entry day remains the same.
sale_date_year	numeric	blank	If sold, year in which transaction took place.	1882
sale_date_month	numeric		If sold, month in which transaction took place.	6
sale_date_day	numeric		If sold, day on which transaction took place.	26
purch_amount	numeric	blank	Total amount paid by the dealer for the object.	7500	Occasionally, a code like those used in cost_translation (see below) is used, in which case this field contains the translated code.
purch_code			Code for amount dealer paid for the object.	TANN
purch_currency	alphabetic	blank	Currency with which the dealer paid for the object.	francs
purch_frame	alphanumeric	blank	Price paid or other information about the frame.	cadre 50 francs<br/>cadre compris
purch_note	alphabetic	blank	Additional information about the dealer's purchase of the object.	pour 106a & 106b<br/>	If the price was paid for multiple objects, such information will appear here.
purch_ques	alphabetic	blank	If there is uncertainty about the purchase price, this field contains a "?" in brackets.	?
purch_loc	alphabetic	blank	Location at which purchase was made.	Arthur, Tooth & Sons, 155, New Bond Street, Londres	Purchase locations, often mentioned in the "Stock Book Notes" column in the Goupil stock books, are formatted as place, city, and country. Locations most often cited are branches of Goupil & Cie.
purch_loc_note	alphabetic	blank	Additional information about the purchase location.	Chevallier, commissaire priseur
cost_code	alphabetic	blank	Code for dealer's cost of preparing the object for sale.	NUO	Dealer cost codes are more commonly referred to as production costs in galleries today.
cost_translation	alphabetic	blank	Translation of code for dealer's cost preparing the object for sale.	483	See dataset documentation above
cost_currency	alphabetic	blank	Currency with which the dealer's cost was paid.	francs
cost_frame	alphanumeric	blank	Amount (with currency) dealer spent on frame.	cadre 40 francs
cost_description	alphabetic	blank	Additional information about the dealer's cost.	Pour les nos 1015[a] & 1015[b]	If the price was paid for multiple objects, such information will appear here.
cost_number	numeric	blank	Number that appears in stock book next to dealer's cost.	700	The meaning of this number is not currently known.
Multiple groups of price fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _2, may occur.
price_amount_1	numeric		Amount paid by the buyer to the dealer.	6700
price_code_1	alphabetic		Code for amount paid by the buyer to the dealer.		See cost_translation (above) for schemes used to translate codes for numeric price_amount.
price_currency_1	alphabetic		Currency in which the buyer paid the dealer.	francs
price_note_1			Additional information about the sale price.	les no 669 & 670 pris en échange du no 600
Multiple groups of seller name fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _2, may occur.
seller_name_1	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim name of the first seller.	Boussod Valadon & Co
seller_loc_1	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim location of the first seller.	Paris
sell_auth_name_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority name for first seller, established by PSCP.	Boussod, Valadon et Cie.
sell_auth_loc_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority location for first seller, established by PSCP.	Paris, France
sell_auth_mod_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority text that supplies additional information about the first seller, in relation to the second seller.	for	If there was an agent relationship between the primary seller and an intermediary such information will appear here.
seller_ulan_id_1	numeric		ULAN ID for first seller authority	500447965
Multiple groups of joint owner name fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _3, may occur.
joint_own_1	alphabetic	blank	Name of first joint owner.	Wallis
joint_own_sh_1	alphanumeric	blank	Fractional share owned by first joint owner.	1/2
joint_ulan_id_1	alphanumeric	blank	ULAN ID for first joint owne.r	500435647
transaction	alphabetic	blank	Indicates sale status of the object.	Vendu
Multiple groups of buyer name fields, numbered sequentially from _1 to _2 may occur.
buyer_name_1	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim name of first buyer.	Chaine & Simonson
buyer_loc_1	alphabetic	blank	Verbatim location of first buyer.	Paris
buyer_mod_1	alphabetic	blank	Text that supplies additional information about the primary buyer.	[par] La Haye
buy_auth_name_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority name for first buyer, established by PSCP.	Chaine & Simonson, J.
buy_auth_addr_1	alphabetic	blank	Authority location for first buyer, established by PSCP.	Paris, France
buy_auth_mod_1	alphabetic	blank	Text that supplies additional information about the primary buyer.	par Succursale de La Haye, Pays-Bas.	If there was an agent relationship between the primary buyer and an intermediary such information will appear here.
buyer_ULAN_ID_1	numeric		ULAN ID for first buyer.	500443250
previous_owner	alphabetic	blank	Notes about owner(s) of object prior to current transaction described.	Georges Petit	Multiple values are concatenated with semi-colons.
previous_sales	alphabetic	blank	Notes about sales that included the object before the current transaction.	Vente Troyon
post_sales	alphabetic	blank	Notes about sales that included the object after the current transaction.	Galerie d'un amateur de Vienne, Vente les vendredi 27 et samedi
post_owner	alphabetic	blank	Notes about the owners of the object following the current sale.	1898 achete par W.R. Hearst chez Knoedler	Multiple values are concatenated with semi-colons.
sale_location	alphabetic	blank	Location at which sale was made.	Le Haye<br/>Exposition de Rotterdam<br/>Hôtel des ventes, Paris, France.
present_loc_geog	alphabetic	blank	Present location, if known, including city, state, country, of the owning institution.	Nantes, France
present_loc_inst	alphabetic	blank	Name of present owning institution, if known.	Musée des Beaux-Arts
present_loc_acc	alphanumeric	blank	Accession number in collection of present owning institution, if known.	87.15.130
present_loc_note	alphabetic	blank	Text that supplies additional information about the owning institution.	as "Ovide among the Scythians"
present_loc_ulan_id	numeric		ULAN ID for present owning institution.	500303422
verbatim_notes	alphabetic	blank	All notes and miscellaneous information from the stock book entry are combined into this field. May contain editorial notes added for clarification.	suprimé, vendu par Mr Uls	All notes and miscellaneous information from the stock book entry are combined into this field. May contain editorial notes added for clarification.
editor_notes	alphabetic	blank	All research notes and remarks from the PSCP editors.	Il n'est pas certain que le nom de l'acheteur soit "La Haye"
no_name_notes	alphabetic	blank	Information from a column in the stock books that was untitled.	NY P55
rosetta_handle	alphanumeric	blank	URL for an image of the stock book page on which the record appears.	http://hdl.handle.net/10020/900239_FL1647151