Chapoval, russian painter: catalogue's raisonné

There are many definitions of a catalogue raisonné. Narrowly defined, it is a thorough, reasoned and systematic documentation of all works by an artist – the oeuvre – in a given medium (such as painting, sculpture, works on paper) known at the time when the catalogue is prepared. By definition, the author(s) or editor(s), when deciding which works to include, are also making an assessment as to whether a particular work is by the hand of a given artist – that is, authentic – and where it fits within the artist's body of work. Except in rare instances, a catalogue raisonné is not an exhibition or collection catalogue, nor is it the same as a "monograph" on an artist, although some monographs include a list of the artist's complete works. (International Foundation for Art Research, IFAR)