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Chapter 9 : View Information (View
Description/View Type/View Subject/View Date)
9.1.1 Discussion
The View Information elements include details about
the view of the work as it appears in an image (surrogate)
of the work. Elements addressed here include View Description,
View Type, View Subject, and View Date, which are only
a few of the fields needed to catalog images. For additional
information regarding cataloging images, see Part 1:
Works and Images and Database Design and Relationships.
A more in-depth discussion is available in Categories
for the Description of Works of Art: Related Visual
Documentation and VRA Core 4.0.
It is important to record information about the view
of an image regardless of its format (photograph, negative,
slide, microfiche, videotape, streaming video, or digital
image) or type of institution (visual resources collection,
library, museum, or archival collection). Visual surrogates
can provide access to works that would be otherwise
unavailable due to their remote locations or other restrictions
that would limit direct contact. When an image rather
than the original work is the only visual access, a
description of the view helps provide a more complete
experience and understanding of the work as seen in
the image; this is particularly true for three-dimensional
works such as sculpture or architecture.
View Description
View Description is a free-text field that elaborates
on the spatial, chronological, or contextual aspects
of the work as captured in the image view (for example,
detail of the lower left-hand corner, view facing
the northwest, or view of building at sunset).
Whereas the View Type element describes the vantage
point using limited and controlled vocabulary, the View
Description element places the vantage point within
a fuller context and elaborates on the perspective by
describing details, parts, cardinal directions, and
so forth. Together with View Type, View Description
helps the end user evaluate the nature of the information
within the image and differentiate among multiple images
of the same work.
View Type
View Type records the specific vantage point or perspective,
such as profile view, close-up view, or interior view.
It helps the user differentiate among multiple images
of the same work.
View Subject
View Subject may include terms or phrases that characterize
the subject matter of the work as it is depicted in
a specific image. Recording the subject matter of the
view helps differentiate among multiple images of the
same work and enables end users to identify specific
images that illustrate a particular concept or detail.
It is especially useful for details, complex works,
and built works that may include many different views
and details. For example, given subject access to an
image with a view of a room that includes the term skylights,
users who need examples of skylights can quickly locate
an image that contains that detail.
Not every image will require that the View Subject
element be completed. For example, if the image depicts
a two-dimensional painting in full, the subject of the
image will be adequately covered by the subject of the
work itself. View Subject is required when the subject
matter depicted in the image is specific to the image
and distinct from that of the work in general. For further
discussion of View Subject and related topics, see Chapter
6: Subject.
View Date
The View Date element includes any date or range of
dates associated with the creation or production of
the image. Although not required, it should be recorded
when it is known. An image of Villa Savoy taken in 1935
will provide information about the villa that will be
different from the information gleaned from a photograph
of it taken in 1999. The visual document may also be
the only record of a damaged or lost work, and can be
vital to the work's restoration or recovery. Knowing
the date of the view can aid in restoration of a work.
For example, a view of the Basilica of San Francesco
in Assisi taken in 1996, just before the earthquake
of 1997, would be a possibly significant visual record
of the building's condition just before it was damaged.
It is important to distinguish between a view date
and other collection administration dates. For example,
consider an image showing the Taj Mahal taken in 1969
in a 35-mm slide format and copied to a digital format
in 2003. The date of the digital image is 2003, but
the date of the view is 1969. Such distinctions should
be made clear in the Image Record. The Creation Date
for the copy is generally recorded with other administrative
data and should not be confused with the View Date.
Organization of Data
Ideally, both a View Description (display) and controlled
fields for View Type, View Date, and View Subject will
be used. View Type and View Subject should be repeatable
fields. Using controlled vocabularies, authorities,
and consistent formatting to ensure efficient end-user
retrieval is recommended.
View Information fields are part of the Image Record,
although they should be linked to the appropriate Work
Record. How the Image Record and the Work Record are
linked is a local database implementation issue. Note
that an institution may require multiple Image Records
to be linked to a single Work Record. For example, a
painting (Work Record) may be linked to image records
for slides of the full view of the painting and various
details; a building (Work Record) might be linked to
multiple records for digital images showing different
views and details of the building. See Part 1: Works
and Images. In database systems that link Work and Image
Records, it should be possible to narrow searches to
retrieve images of a particular detail or view of a
given work, based on values in the View Type and View
Subject elements.
Recommendations for recording certain information
about the view, particularly for the View Date and the
View Subject, may duplicate recommendations already
stated elsewhere in this guide; where appropriate, the
reader is directed to additional relevant sections in
the guide.
Recommended Elements
A list of the elements discussed in this chapter appears
below. Required elements are noted. Display may be a
free-text field or concatenated from controlled fields.
View Description (required)
View Type (required)
View Subject display
View Subject controlled (required)
View Display Date
View Earliest Date
View Latest Date
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