Art collection management software that stays out of your way

Why collectors need more than a spreadsheet

A collection is not just a list of titles and artists. It's a set of assets with provenance, value, location, condition, and a long legal afterlife. Spreadsheets handle titles. They do not handle images, documents, condition history, loan agreements, or insurance exports.

The moment a collector tries to produce a valuation schedule for an insurer, or confirm provenance for a sale, or pull together a loan agreement — a spreadsheet becomes a liability instead of a tool.

Built for collectors, not only artists

Artwork Codex supports three account types: artist, collector, or both. If you select Collector, the dashboard adjusts: the artist-name field is front and center, purchase records and acquisition dates become default, and the portfolio page becomes optional rather than central.

You're not cramming a collection into an artist's tool. The tool understands that you're recording acquisitions, not authoring work.

What the record for each piece looks like

• Artist name, title, year, medium, dimensions
• Acquisition source (gallery, auction, private, gift)
• Acquisition date and price
• Current valuation and notes on the basis for it
• Provenance and ownership history
• Current location (home, storage, on loan, in transit)
• Condition photos and any condition reports
• Linked COA or documentation
• Up to 10 images per work, including back and edges

Each of these fields is optional. You're not forced into a rigid schema. But they're all available when you need them — which is often exactly when you don't expect.

Insurance documentation that actually works

Insurers reject claims on documentation, not on coverage. Artwork Codex gives you what insurers expect: high-resolution images, full metadata, provenance records, and an export-ready valuation schedule.

You can generate a PDF catalogue of your collection as a formal schedule, export a CSV for your broker, or download a ZIP of all images for offline safekeeping. When something happens, the paperwork is already done. See the full artwork insurance guide for how to work with your insurer.

Provenance, kept where it belongs

Provenance is the story of who owned a work and how it came to you. That story is what supports resale value, legal title, and insurability. It lives best where the work lives — attached to the record, not scattered across emails, receipts, and an auction catalogue on a shelf.

Every record in Artwork Codex has a provenance field, acquisition notes, and linked images. You can keep a copy of the receipt, the auction invoice, or the gift letter attached as part of the record.

Loans and exhibitions

Lending a work to an institution or gallery is a common reason to move a piece, and a common place for records to drift. Log the exhibition, the dates, the venue, and the return plan. The exhibition history stays attached to the artwork record for as long as you own the piece.

When you sell the work or pass it on, that exhibition history goes with the record — a simple way to preserve the full story of the piece.

Privacy by default

Your collection records are private. Row-level security means only you can see your data — even other Artwork Codex users can't. You don't have to turn a portfolio on, and there's no public listing of your collection anywhere on the site.

If you want to share a specific selection — say, with an advisor, an insurer, or a family member — a password-protected viewing room lets you share a curated subset without exposing the full collection.

A practical start

1. Start with your most recent and most valuable pieces.
2. Attach purchase documentation as soon as it arrives.
3. Photograph each piece from multiple angles, including the back.
4. Export a valuation PDF once a year for your insurer.
5. Add older works gradually — 15 minutes a week beats a weekend binge.

The collection record only exists if you make it. But it doesn't have to be built in one pass. A calm, consistent workflow is what separates collectors whose records support them from collectors rebuilding from scratch when something goes wrong.