Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Visual artworks

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  Digital surrogate (faithful digital representation)
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  Digital surrogate (faithful digital representation)
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  Photo of an artwork (NOT a digital surrogate)
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  Photo of an artwork (NOT a digital surrogate)

How can you use structured data (SDC) to describe files that show visual artworks on Wikimedia Commons?

This page collects best practices for:

• Files (images, videos, 3D scans...) that show works of visual art: paintings, sculptures, public artworks, prints... creative works that can be shown as an 'autonomous' work, for instance in an exhibition, or in a public place.
• Structured Data on Commons (SDC) data modeling conventions that have reached community consensus, that are widely used, and that are broadly re-usable by any Wikimedia Commons user (i.e. not just built for one single use case or for one institution)
• Corresponding Wikitext templates which are fully structured data-driven

The following cases can not yet be covered on this page (as of December 2022):

• Commons files that show artworks/objects that do not have a Wikidata item (no SDC data modeling consensus yet; no fully SDC-driven Wikitext templates yet)
• Photographs, specimens (no SDC data modeling consensus yet; no fully SDC-driven Wikitext templates yet)

Basic guidelines that apply to all visual artworks (read this first!)

The following guidelines apply to all images and other Wikimedia Commons files that show

• creative works: sculptures, paintings, drawings, prints, textile works...
• objects in cultural heritage collections, such as archaeological objects

The difference between a creative work (or, in general, a cultural object), and a file that shows this work or object

Left: Nefertiti Bust (Q582172) (artwork; circa 1350 BC; attributed to the sculptor Thutmose (Q281100)). Right: a photo of this artwork (digital file on Wikimedia Commons, shot in 2009 by photographer Glenn Ashton).
A creative work or cultural heritage object may be hundreds or thousands years old, may have been created by an artist who died centuries ago, can be made of stone, wood, paint...	A digital file that shows this work or object is perhaps a few years old, is made by a photographer who is probably still alive today, and is a piece of digital media that you see as pixels on your computer screen.
Creative works are, if notable enough, preferably described on Wikidata. Less notable cultural items (objects) can also be described on Wikimedia Commons as part of the file's structured data.	The files showing this artwork are stored and described on Wikimedia Commons.
Both have very different kinds of (meta)data!

What is a digital surrogate?

A digital surrogate, or faithful reproduction, of a creative work or object, is a form of 'direct digitization' of that work/object that is meant to show it truthfully and faithfully. Examples of digital surrogates include:

• A photograph or scan of a painting that is produced to faithfully show the painting 'as is', without deformations, shadows, lighting, etc.
• A 3D scan of a sculpture, airplane, tool...
• A scan of a drawing or print
• A scan of a book
• A video file that represents a fully digitized film

This difference has legal implications! In copyright law of many countries around the world (including European countries), it is illegal to claim copyright over the exact digital reproduction of a creative work that is in the public domain. But as soon as someone takes a photograph of a work from a certain distance/angle, and with a specific point of view, then there is some creativity involved; then the photographer can claim copyright.

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  A digital surrogate (faithful digital representation) of the Mona Lisa (Q12418). No frame is shown. The image has no distortion or edges.
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  A photograph (NOT a digital surrogate) of the Mona Lisa (Q12418). It is taken from an angle, the frame is visible and the painting's image is distorted.
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  A photograph (NOT a digital surrogate) of the Mona Lisa (Q12418) from a distance, showing the room in which it is displayed. Here, the photographer certainly made a conscious (creative) decision about the point of view.

When should works and objects have a Wikidata item?

• When the work or object can be considered notable (which is more often than expected)! A work or object very often fits Wikidata's general notability criteria, including the criterium that the "entity must be notable, in the sense that it can be described using serious and publicly available references". In general, it is widely advisable to create a Wikidata item for a painting, a sculpture, a permanent public artwork, or a notable object that has been described in independent sources. Make sure to search Wikidata before creating a new Wikidata item though; the work or object may have an item already!
• If a work or object has more than one image or other file on Wikimedia Commons, that is often also a good indication that a Wikidata item would be useful. The different files can then point to this one Wikidata item.
• That said, it can be convenient (e.g. when performing batch uploads) to only describe the work or object with structured data on Wikimedia Commons.

You can find data modeling guidelines for visual artworks on Wikidata at https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Wikidata:WikiProject_Visual_arts/Item_structure (this page is work in progress).

Should I also create a Wikidata item for the photograph / image / file that shows the work or object?

In 99.99% of cases: no. You will add metadata about the image here on Wikimedia Commons, and metadata about the artwork either to its Wikidata item, or here on Wikimedia Commons too.

Examples

Faithful representation ('digital surrogate') of an artwork; the artwork is notable and has a Wikidata item

File (click to explore the example)	Structured data	Wikitext
	source of file file available on the internet edit described at URL https://www.mauritshuis.nl/nl-nl/verdiep/de-collectie/kunstwerken/stilleven-met-kazen-amandelen-en-krakelingen-1203/ operator Mauritshuis 0 references add reference add value depicts Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value digital representation of Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value	== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Artwork}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{PD-Art|PD-old-auto-expired|deathyear=1657}} [[Category:Flemish paintings in the Mauritshuis]] [[Category:Clara Peeters]]
	source of file file available on the internet edit described at URL https://www.khm.at/objektdb/detail/73/ operator Kunsthistorisches Museum 0 references add reference add value depicts The allegory of Fire edit 0 references add reference add value digital representation of The allegory of Fire edit 0 references add reference add value main subject The allegory of Fire edit 0 references add reference add value	== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Artwork}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{PD-Art|PD-old-auto-expired|deathyear=1593}} [[Category:Fire (Arcimboldo, 1566)]]
	source of file file available on the internet edit described at URL https://www.myminifactory.com/object/3d-print-venus-of-willendorf-at-the-naturhistorisches-museum-vienna-austria-11455 operator MyMiniFactory 0 references add reference add value depicts Venus of Willendorf edit 0 references add reference add value digital representation of Venus of Willendorf edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Venus of Willendorf edit 0 references add reference add value	=={{int:filedesc}}== {{Art photo}} =={{Assessment}}== {{Media of the day|2021|9|23}} {{FM promoted|featured=1}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{self|cc-by-sa-4.0}} {{3dpatent|ownwork}} [[Category:Venus of Willendorf]] [[Category:STL files from Scan the World]] [[Category:STL files of sculptures]] [[Category:Featured media nominated by Andrew J.Kurbiko]] [[Category:Featured media by Jonathanbeck]]

• More examples; click on the image and/or file name to inspect the structured data and Wikitext of each example.
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  Virgin of Vladimir.jpg
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  4 Radha (Bani Thani), Kishangarh, ca. 1750, National Museum New Delhi.jpg
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  Paul Klee ~ Angelus Novus ~ 1920.jpg
• Sanae Yamamoto- Momotaro, Japan's No.1 (1928).ogv
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  Anonymous - Krishna and Rukmini in a Garden Pavilion - 1960.159 - Arthur M. Sackler Museum.jpg

Photograph of an artwork that is not a 'digital surrogate' of the work; the artwork has a Wikidata item

File (click to explore the example)	Structured data	Wikitext
	source of file original creation by uploader edit 0 references add reference add value creator some value edit Wikimedia username Anagoria URL https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User:Anagoria 0 references add reference add value inception 24 December 2013 edit 0 references add reference add value depicts Aztec sun stone edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Aztec sun stone edit 0 references add reference add value	== {{int:filedesc}} == {{Art Photo}} == {{int:license-header}} == {{self|GFDL|cc-by-3.0}} [[Category:Aztec sun stone]] [[Category:Archaeological objects made from basalt]] [[Category:Basalt sculptures]] [[Category:Archaeology in Mexico]] [[Category:Calendars]] [[Category:Files by User:anagoria]]
	source of file file available on the internet edit described at URL https://id.erfgoed.net/afbeeldingen/202339 operator Flanders Heritage Agency 0 references add reference add value creator Flanders Heritage Agency edit object of statement has role photographer 0 references add reference add value inception 1990 edit 0 references add reference add value depicts Ambiorix edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Ambiorix edit 0 references add reference add value	=={{int:filedesc}}== {{Art photo}} {{Onroerend erfgoed|200309}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{Cc-by-4.0}} [[Category:Statue of Ambiorix in Tongeren]]

• More examples; click on the image and/or file name to inspect the structured data and Wikitext of each example.
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  Venus de Brassempouy.jpg
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  Figurines of women carrying pottery vessels.jpg
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  Jade cabbage closeup.jpg
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  Chrysanthemums by Shinsei-Ethno BHM 305-P6141091-gradient.jpg
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  1. Tamanian St - Kiwi by Peter Woytuk .jpg
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  Endlose Treppe bei KPMG in München..jpg

How to model structured data and Wikitext to describe Commons files

Digital surrogates	Photographs of artworks
Structured data
Basic structured data
Recommended basic structured data statements for any file on Wikimedia Commons are the following. Please note that you are describing the file, not the artwork that is depicted in the file! inception (P571) (creation date of the file, not of the artwork in the file). Detailed guidelines: Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Date creator (P170) (of the file). Detailed guidelines: Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Author source of file (P7482). Detailed guidelines: Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Source And a combination of two statements that describe the file's copyright status and license. Detailed guidelines: Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Copyright copyright status (P6216) (of the file). The value of this statement should be one of the following three options: copyrighted (Q50423863) or copyrighted, dedicated to the public domain by copyright holder (Q88088423) or public domain (Q19652) copyright license (P275) (of the file).
Structured data about the artwork Detailed guidelines: Commons:Structured data/Modeling/Depiction#Works of art.
When describing digital surrogates (faithful digital representations) of artworks, please add three (3) structured data statements that point to the artwork itself: depicts (P180) digital representation of (P6243) main subject (P921) The combination of these three statements will trigger the artwork's data in Wikitext to be generated from the structured data. If you omit one of these statements, no structured data about the artwork will be loaded in the Wikitext part of the file page.	When describing photographs that show three-dimensional works, please add two (2) structured data statements that point to the artwork itself: depicts (P180) main subject (P921) The combination of these two statements will trigger the artwork's data in Wikitext to be generated from the structured data. If you omit one of these statements, no structured data about the artwork will be loaded in the Wikitext part of the file page.
Example: depicts Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value digital representation of Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Still Life with Cheeses, Almonds and Pretzels edit 0 references add reference add value	Example: depicts Aztec sun stone edit 0 references add reference add value main subject Aztec sun stone edit 0 references add reference add value
Wikitext
If the structured data of the file is properly filled in, as described above, then very simple Wikitext is enough, and even preferred (to avoid data duplication). Wikitext typically has three sections: information about the file, license, and categories. Information about the file. Typically, you will use the {{Artwork}} template for digital surrogates, and the {{Art Photo}} template for photographs of artworks. The {{Art Photo}} template will display data about both the artwork and the photograph taken of that artwork, and can also be used for digital surrogates. License. Wikitext always contains a header with the file's license. Make sure that this license template corresponds with the copyright and license information specified in the structured data. This information is (per December 2022) not yet automatically pre-filled from structured data. Categories. Always make sure that the Wikitext of the file contains one or more suitable Commons categories.
Example (this file): =={{int:filedesc}}== {{Artwork}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{PD-Art|PD-old-auto-expired|deathyear=1944}} [[Category:Naturalistic paintings by Piet Mondrian]] [[Category:Amsterdam, 1897-1901 (A92-A259)]]	Example (this file): =={{int:filedesc}}== {{Art photo}} =={{int:license-header}}== {{cc-by-sa-4.0}} [[Category:Statue of Ambiorix in Tongeren]]