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Raters of the Lost Art

The Wildenstein Plattner Institute is dedicated to the resource-intensive production of catalogues raisonnés—scholarly compendia of an artist’s entire oeuvre. Executive director Elizabeth Gorayeb explains why the work is a “money pit”—and why it’s so essential.

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Elizabeth Gorayeb
"First, we really want to build something that shows what the technology will be able to do, using the catalogues raisonnés we already have. Then it behooves the art-historical community to contribute their data and make it exportable. We’re talking about a technology that has yet to be developed, but it’s a vision that we hope to achieve," says W.P.I. executive director Elizabeth Gorayeb. Photo: Courtesy of W.P.I.
Marion Maneker
August 20, 2025

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Few artists or institutions have the time or resources to produce catalogues raisonnés: comprehensive scholarly records documenting an artist’s entire body of work. And yet, these projects are essential to the art world. Dealers, gallerists, auction specialists, and curators rely on them to authenticate, contextualize, and accurately price artworks. Without art historians and nonprofit organizations dedicated to this work, a crucial part of establishing provenance and preserving artistic legacy would be at risk.

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