Cataloguing monuments - Some changes in the documentary work of art historians in silesia over the past 150 years

Abstract

The aim of this paper is a critical analysis of the process of creating a ‘classic’ monuments catalog, in the context of the implementation of ICT in the history of art. The starting point for this discussion is an analysis of the genesis, structure and function of the catalog in the form in which it was created at the beginning of the 20th century. Texts and illustrations from the beginning of the 17th century on have been taken into consideration. The key problems to be addressed are: the changes that ICT brought to the work of the documenter and its impact on the methodology of cataloging. The conclusion compares the ‘classic’ published monuments catalog with databases of similar character.