The new Census database received a positive review from Matthew C. Coleman in the journal Renaissance and Reformation / Renaissance et Réforme (vol. 46, no. 1 (2023), pp. 217–221).
Highlights from the review include:
‘Census’s old, bright blue and grey colour scheme, reminiscent of the now long-forgotten Windows 2000 operating system, is now gone, giving way to a new user interface (UI) that highlights the stunning image collection. Clear search tools and precise results make it easy to find information on either the monuments or documents one is looking for.’
‘The advanced search function allows users to investigate keywords be-yond just name or alias while adjusting search criteria in specific ways (e.g., searching Renaissance Attributions, Dimensions, and Replica status). Similar specificity is available for querying Locations, Persons of Interest, Dates, Styles, Inscriptions, and Bibliography.’
‘One aspect that stands out in the resource is its integration of high-quality images. In the “Large Image Viewer,” photographs of desired monu-ments can be enlarged and zoomed in on, making it easy to study the details of ancient artworks and their early modern representative sources. Easily engaged through Census’s photo viewer are the stylistic details of a sculpture, the lettering of either antique or post-antique inscriptions on a monument, as well as explicit written designations of whereabouts from sketchbooks and other crucial details. Art historians rejoice here, too, as images of monuments and/or documents can be directly compared, side by side, with the “Image Comparer” tool! With this feature, researchers can make multiple comparisons on the screen. For example, researchers can view a photograph of an ancient monument alongside a depiction of it in a Renaissance print, or compare two Renaissance drawings of the same monument by different artists. This tool will be of interest to architectural historians, perhaps, who can zoom in on a specific detail of architectural decoration while comparing it to its larger context within a building, for instance.’
‘Under Christian’s leadership, the past three years have spelled several updates to the database’s photographic resources. A photographic campaign begun in 2021 provided new access to beautiful, high-resolution images sourced from archives around the world including those at the Musei Capitolini in Rome, the Biblioteca Comunale in Siena, and the Ashmolean in Oxford, to name a few. Christian’s student assistants at the Institut für Kunst- und Bildgeschichte have also been working hard to upload new and updated reproductions of images from the Census’s past.’
‘Census is intuitive and easy to use, with the Fylr fron-tend web-app supported by all major Internet browsers, making it an excellent resource for teaching, research, and study anywhere.’
‘The Census of Antique Works of Art and Architecture Known in the Renaissance is an essential resource for historians of Renaissance art and those interested in the long life of ancient art and architecture. Its usefulness as a carefully composed online research tool is undeniable, and its commitment to open access and the dissemination of its unique knowledge base is commendable. Census’s comprehensiveness, user-friendly interface, and integration of high-quality images make it an invaluable tool for researchers and students alike. The resource’s documentation is thorough, informative, accurate, and reliable. This spring’s UI update by Christian and her support staff promises to make continued work with this extraordinary relational database even easier and more intuitive to use than ever before.’
The full review article is available here:
https://jps.library.utoronto.ca/index.php/renref/article/view/41741/31943
