The guides are practical texts for anyone who works with art: how to document an artwork, what to review before signing with a gallery, when an artwork ceases to be protected. They differ from the articles in the Public Notebook in their function. The Notebook analyses and interprets; the guides explain how to do something and which rules, data or documents each step relies on. That is why they are updated when what underpins them changes, and each one shows the date it was last checked.
Verified indicates that on that date, I checked every fact, rule and link against its primary source. Reviewed indicates that I re-read and updated the text without repeating that full verification. When only Updated appears, the date corresponds to the most recent edit.
The guides offer general information. They do not constitute individualised legal, tax or professional advice: for a specific case, consult a qualified professional.
Featured resource
Master artwork record
An open-format template for keeping a consistent inventory of your work from the studio onwards. The ODS workbook brings together four sheets: master record, restricted data, gallery deposit and key. It includes validations, filters, frozen headers and an example row.
The gallery deposit sheet fills in the title automatically from the inventory number. It is a record of the works delivered, not a contract. Terms of custody, insurance, sale, commission and return must be agreed separately.
The restricted data sheet contains personal, financial and location information. It must not be published, nor shared together with the general record.
The ODS is the main resource. The CSV files let you import the master record, the restricted data and the gallery deposit record separately.
The guides are currently searched and indexed in Spanish.
50 guides
Donating a work to an institution: what to agree
What to prepare and what to agree when donating a work to an institution: acceptance, ownership, rights, conditions, conservation, valuation and delivery.
Reviewed on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- copyright
- cultural heritage
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Lending a work from a private collection to a museum
What to agree when lending a privately owned work to a museum: identification, condition, transport, insurance, image rights, costs and incidents.
Reviewed on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- conservation
- artwork documentation
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How to plan the succession of an art collection
How to organise the inventory, ownership, rights, digital assets, the people responsible and possible destinations before passing on a collection.
Reviewed on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- copyright
- artwork documentation
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How to sell a work from your collection
How to prepare the sale of a work from a collection: title, documentation, channel, net proceeds, resale right, export and delivery.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- provenance
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Importing or exporting a work from Spain: documentation and permits
What to check before taking a work out of Spain or bringing cultural goods into the European Union: permits, thresholds, customs and documentation.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural heritage
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How to insure an art collection
What to document and what to ask when insuring a collection: values, locations, transport, exclusions, limiting clauses and what to do when a loss occurs.
Reviewed on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- conservation
- art market
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Buying art at auction: estimate, premium, condition and collection
How to read an auction catalogue, work out the total cost, check condition and attribution and plan for heritage rules, payment, transport and collection.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- art market
- cultural heritage
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How to read a condition report for a work of art
How to interpret a condition report, what it describes, what it does not prove and how to use it in purchases, loans, transport and conservation.
Reviewed on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- conservation
- artwork documentation
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Buying digital art: file, rights, certificate and preservation
What you acquire when you buy digital art and what to document about the file, edition, rights, dependencies, migration and preservation.
Verified on 28 September 2026
- art collecting
- copyright
- digital infrastructure
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Corrections and contributions
If you find an error, outdated information or a better source, please write to me via the contact page. I correct confirmed errors and update the date of the affected guide.