1. VRA Core 4.0

2. Outline
• What is Visual Reference Assocation?
• What is VRA Core 4.0?
• What VRA Core 4.0 is not?
• What can be catalogued using VRA Core 4.0?
• Minimal elements
• Elements
• Examples

3. What is Visual Resources
Association?
• The international associaton of image
media professionals;
• Multi-disciplinary organization dedicated
to furthering research and education in
field of image management;
• They offer educational tools and
opportunities for the benefit of the
community;

4. What is VRA Core 4.0?
• First version in 1996, latest in 2007;
• Resembles Dublin Core;
• Descriptive metadata standard for the cultural
heritage community;
• The standard provides a categorical organization
for the description of works of visual culture as
well as the images that document them;

5. What VRA Core 4.0 is not?
• Not a data content standard;
• Not a technical or rights metadata
standard;

6. What can be catalogued using VRA
Core 4.0?
• Architecture and architecture models;
• Decorative arts;
• Manuscripts and book arts;
• Paintings, prints, drawings;
• Performances and installation arts;
• Photograps and films;
• Sculptures;
• Cultural documentation and didactic
materials;

7. Minimal elements
• WORK TYPE – what;
• TITLE – what;
• AGENT – who;
• LOCATION – where;
• DATE – when;
Example: Kiss of Judas, one of the panels of
the Life of Christ cycle

8. Elements
• work, collection, or
image (id)
• agent
- attribution
- culture
- dates (type)
o earliestDate (circa)
o latestDate (circa)
- name (type)
- role
• culturalContext
• date (type)
- earliestDate (circa)
- latestDate (circa)
• description
• inscription
- author
- position
- text (type)
• location (type)
- name (type)
- refid (type)
• material (type)
• measurements (type,
unit)
• relation (type, relids)
• rights (type)
- rightsHolder
- text
• source
- name (type)
- refid (type)
• stateEdition (count,
num, type)
- description
- name
• stylePeriod
• subject
- term (type)
• technique
• textref
- name (type)
- refid (type)
• title ( type)
• worktype

9. Thank You for your attention!
Patryk Koprowicz