Linked Art API Visual Work

Table of Contents

Introduction

The Visual Work API is a method of getting access to descriptions of image content, such as the appearance of paintings and two-dimensional artworks, sculptures and three-dimensional artworks, or digital images. The Visual Work model is of average complexity with many familiar properties and patterns, plus several additions to describe the visual work's relationship to other entities.

For more information about the usage of Visual Work data, please see the Object Aboutness model description.

Property Definitions

Dereferencing an entity via the Visual Work endpoint would result in a JSON-LD document containing a single JSON object with the following properties.

Properties of Visual Works

Property Name Datatype Requirement Description
@context string, array Required The value MUST be the URI of the Linked Art context as a string, "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json" or an array in which the URI is the last entry to allow for extensions
id string Required The value MUST be the HTTP(S) URI at which the visual work's representation can be dereferenced
type string Required The class for the visual work, which MUST be the value "VisualItem"
_label string Recommended A human readable label for the visual work, intended for developers
classified_as array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a classification of the visual work and MUST follow the requirements for Type
identified_by array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a name/title of the visual work and MUST follow the requirements for Name, or an identifier for the visual work and MUST follow the requirements for Identifier
referred_to_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a human readable statement about the visual work and MUST follow the requirements for Statement
equivalent array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to an external identity and description of the current visual work
member_of array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Set that the current visual work is a member of and MUST follow the requirements for a reference to a Set
subject_of array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Textual Work, the content of which focuses on the current visual work, and MUST follow the requirements for a reference
attributed_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Relationship Assignment that relates the current visual work to another entity
dimension array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Dimension, such as abstract height or width, of the current visual work
part_of array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to another Visual Work that the current visual work is a part of
digitally_shown_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Digital Object, such as a JPEG image, that digitally shows this visual work
shown_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Physical Object, such as a painting, that physically shows this visual work
about array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to another entity of any type, that this text is primarily about
represents array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to another entity of any type, that this visual work represents or depicts
represents_entity_of_type array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a type of another entity that this visual work represents or depicts, but where the individual is not known and MUST follow the requirements for Type
created_by json object Optional A json object representing the creation of the text, which follows the requirements for Creations described below
used_for array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a Publication Activity, which follows the requirements for Publications described below

Properties of Creations, Publication Activities

Property Name Datatype Requirement Description
id string Optional If present, the value MUST be a URI identifying the creation or publication
type string Required The class for the creation, which MUST be the value "Creation" or "Activity"
_label string Recommended A human readable label for the creation or publication, intended for developers
identified_by array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a name for the creation or publication and MUST follow the requirements for Name, or an identifier for the creation or publication and MUST follow the requirements for Identifier
classified_as array Recommended An array of json objects, each of which is a further classification of the creation or publication and MUST follow the requirements for Type
timespan json object Recommended A json object recording when the creation or publication occured, which MUST follow the requirements for timespans
referred_to_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is an embedded statement about the creation or publication
took_place_at array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Place where the creation or publication occured
caused_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to an Event that caused the creation or publication to occur
influenced_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to an entity that influenced the creation or publication in some noticable fashion
carried_out_by array Optional An array of json objects, each of which is a reference to a Person or Group that carried out the creation or publication

Property Diagram

diagram

JSON Schema

See the schema documentation and the schema itself

Incoming Properties

Visual Work instances are typically found as the object of the following properties, other than the self-referential properties above. This list is not exhaustive, but is intended to cover the likely cases where other endpoints refer to image content.

Property Name Source Endpoint Description
representation All Entities can be represented in visual content, in other words the content of an image that depicts them.
shows Physical Object A physical object can show visual content
digitally_shows Digital Object A digital object, similarly, can digitally show visual content

Example

The JSON for a Visual Work entry for a visual content of Miro's "The Farm" could be as below.

{
  "@context": "https://linked.art/ns/v1/linked-art.json",
  "id": "https://linked.art/example/visual/0",
  "type": "VisualItem",
  "_label": "Appearance of Miro's The Farm",
  "classified_as": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300021495",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Cubist",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300015646",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Style"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "identified_by": [
    {
      "type": "Name",
      "content": "Appearance of The Farm"
    }
  ],
  "referred_to_by": [
    {
      "type": "LinguisticObject",
      "classified_as": [
        {
          "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300435416",
          "type": "Type",
          "_label": "Description",
          "classified_as": [
            {
              "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300418049",
              "type": "Type",
              "_label": "Brief Text"
            }
          ]
        }
      ],
      "content": "A brilliant amalgamation of an intense, even primitive, realism with the formal vocabulary of cubism."
    }
  ],
  "represents": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/tgn/7300934",
      "type": "Place",
      "_label": "Mont-roig del Camp"
    }
  ],
  "represents_instance_of_type": [
    {
      "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/aat/300132410",
      "type": "Type",
      "_label": "Tree"
    }
  ],
  "shown_by": [
    {
      "id": "https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-69660",
      "type": "HumanMadeObject",
      "_label": "The Farm"
    }
  ],
  "created_by": {
    "type": "Creation",
    "timespan": {
      "type": "TimeSpan",
      "_label": "1921-1922",
      "begin_of_the_begin": "1921-01-01T00:00:00Z",
      "end_of_the_end": "1922-12-31T23:59:59Z"
    },
    "carried_out_by": [
      {
        "id": "http://vocab.getty.edu/ulan/500014094",
        "type": "Person",
        "_label": "Miro"
      }
    ]
  }
}

graph TD classDef object stroke:black,fill:#E1BA9C,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef actor stroke:black,fill:#FFBDCA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef type stroke:red,fill:#FAB565,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef name stroke:orange,fill:#FEF3BA,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef dims stroke:black,fill:#c6c6c6,rx:20px,ry:20px; classDef infoobj stroke:#907010,fill:#fffa40,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef timespan stroke:blue,fill:#ddfffe,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef place stroke:#3a7a3a,fill:#aff090,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef event stroke:#1010FF,fill:#96e0f6,rx:20px,ry:20px classDef literal stroke:black,fill:#f0f0e0; classDef classstyle stroke:black,fill:white; O1(visual0) class O1 infoobj; O1-- type -->O1_0[VisualItem] class O1_0 classstyle; O1-- _label -->O1_4("''Appearance of Miro's The Farm''") class O1_4 literal; O2(aat:300021495) class O2 type; O2-- type -->O2_0[Type] class O2_0 classstyle; O2-- _label -->O2_3("''Cubist''") class O2_3 literal; O3(aat:300015646) class O3 type; O3-- type -->O3_0[Type] class O3_0 classstyle; O3-- _label -->O3_3("''Style''") class O3_3 literal; O2-- classified_as -->O3 O1-- classified_as -->O2 O4( _ ) class O4 name; O4-- type -->O4_0[Name] class O4_0 classstyle; O4-- content -->O4_2("''Appearance of The Farm''") class O4_2 literal; O1-- identified_by -->O4 O5( _ ) class O5 infoobj; O5-- type -->O5_0[LinguisticObject] class O5_0 classstyle; O6(aat:300435416) class O6 type; O6-- type -->O6_0[Type] class O6_0 classstyle; O6-- _label -->O6_3("''Description''") class O6_3 literal; O7(aat:300418049) class O7 type; O7-- type -->O7_0[Type] class O7_0 classstyle; O7-- _label -->O7_3("''Brief Text''") class O7_3 literal; O6-- classified_as -->O7 O5-- classified_as -->O6 O5-- content -->O5_3("''A brilliant amalgamation of an intense, even primitive, realism with the formal vocabulary of cubism.''") class O5_3 literal; O1-- referred_to_by -->O5 O8(tgn:7300934) class O8 place; O8-- type -->O8_0[Place] class O8_0 classstyle; O8-- _label -->O8_3("''Mont-roig del Camp''") class O8_3 literal; O1-- represents -->O8 O9(aat:300132410) class O9 type; O9-- type -->O9_0[Type] class O9_0 classstyle; O9-- _label -->O9_3("''Tree''") class O9_3 literal; O1-- represents_instance_of_type -->O9 O10(https://www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-69660) class O10 object; O10-- type -->O10_0[HumanMadeObject] class O10_0 classstyle; O10-- _label -->O10_3("''The Farm''") class O10_3 literal; O1-- shown_by -->O10 O11( _ ) class O11 event; O11-- type -->O11_0[Creation] class O11_0 classstyle; O12( _ ) class O12 timespan; O12-- type -->O12_0[TimeSpan] class O12_0 classstyle; O12-- _label -->O12_2("''1921-1922''") class O12_2 literal; O12-- begin_of_the_begin -->O12_3("''1921-01-01T00:00:00Z''") class O12_3 literal; O12-- end_of_the_end -->O12_4("''1922-12-31T23:59:59Z''") class O12_4 literal; O11-- timespan -->O12 O13(ulan:500014094) class O13 actor; O13-- type -->O13_0[Person] class O13_0 classstyle; O13-- _label -->O13_3("''Miro''") class O13_3 literal; O11-- carried_out_by -->O13 O1-- created_by -->O11
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