Creating a new Artwork, and any Artwork Job, is different than creating a new Contact. Voltaire takes you through a number of steps that helps guarantee the consistency and integrity of your information.

To create a new Artwork, navigate to the Artworks Source, and click on the New button in the Browser toolbar, or select New Artwork... from the File menu. This will open a New Artwork Window. The New Artwork window has a number of steps, each represented by a page; these steps appear on the left side of the New Artwork window, to show you where you are, what you've completed, and the remaining steps to be done; when you have finished entering the information for a step, click on the Next button to advance to the next step. The following describes the steps in detail.

Select Artist. Every Artwork must have an Artist. When you begin typing an Artist's name into the field on this page, Voltaire searches through your Artists for a match; in the listbox below this search field, select the Artist that has created this Artwork. If there are no matches - if the Artist is not yet in your system - you can click on the Add Artist button (+) to the right of the search field; this will open a window in which you can create a new Artist. When you return to the New Artwork window after creating a new Artist, re-type the name of the Artist in the search field to refresh the search for the Artist. When you've selected the Artist for this Artwork, click on the Next button.

Enter Artwork Data. On this page you enter standard textual information about the Artwork. For Date, you can enter any textual-type date, including for example "2007," "1933-38," or "c. 1969." Voltaire will try to extrapolate the sortable Year from what you entered and put it into the (Sort) Year field (which you can edit directly). You'll notice that dimensions are live calculations - when you enter English dimensions, the metric dimensions are calculated for you, and vice versa. The US Text and M Text fields allow you to more finely edit how you want labels, for example, to read. Enter the remaining information as you like. (You'll note that you cannot directly edit the Registration Number for the Artwork. This is because Voltaire builds the Registration Number, based on a formula set in Application Settings.) When you're done, click Next.

Attach Images. To attach an image to an Artwork, click on the Add button (+) to the right of the image placeholder.This will open a file dialog box and allow you to select an image. (You can also drag an image from your Desktop directly onto the New Artwork window to add the image to the Artwork.)

You can add as many images as you like. To remove an image, click on the Remove button (-). Any images you've added will appear as thumbnails in the top part of the New Artwork window. When you are done, click Next.

Enter Price. Voltaire keeps track of histories of financial and other related information. When you enter a (retail) Price, this Price becomes part of the Artwork's Price History. Voltaire allows you to also assign an Appraiser and appraisal Date to the record of the Artwork Price; if you do not know, or do not wish to assign an Appraiser, check the Appraiser Unknown checkbox. When you are done, click Next.

Select Owner. Voltaire keeps track of the Ownership History of an Artwork. This Ownership History is set principally by way of the Acquisition and Sale Transactions. Once the Artwork has been created, all Ownerships should be changed only by virtue of an Acquisition or a Sale. It's important when creating a new Artwork, however, to set the Owner of the Artwork to the current known Owner. If you are acquiring the Artwork, set the Owner to the person you are acquiring the work from. To select an owner, begin typing the Owner's name into the search field, then select the Owner from the list below. (If the Owner does not exist in your system, you can create a new Contact by clicking on the Add button (+) to the right of the search field.) If the current owner is unknown, check the Owner Unknown checkbox. If you know the date the current Owner acquired the work, set this date by clicking on the calendar icon to the right of Accession Date; if you do not know the date, leave the date Voltaire sets by default. If you want this Ownership to be listed in the Artwork's Provenance, make sure that List in Provenance is checked, and enter the Provenance line the way you want it in the Provenance Text field. When you are done, click Next.

Select Location. In addition to Ownership, Voltaire keeps track of the Location History of an Artwork. This Location History is set principally by creating and editing Shipments. Once an Artwork is created, an Artwork's Location should be changed only by creating and editing Shipments. It's important when creating a new Artwork, however, to set the original Location of the Artwork. To set the Location, begin typing the name of the Contact where the Artwork is located, then select the Contact from the list, and select the particular address where the Artwork is located from the pulldown menu below the Name label. Because Artwork Locations are linked to specific addresses (because a Contact can have more than one address, including storage spaces, etc.), the Contact you are selecting must have at least one surface address. If the Contact is not in your system, you can create a new Contact by clicking on the Add button (+) and creating a new Contact; if the Contact does not have an address, or does not have the address relevant to the Artwork's location, edit the Contact and correct this information before proceeding. When you are done, click Next.

Enter Condition. Voltaire also keeps track of the Condition History of an Artwork. When you create a new Artwork, you can enter the information about the current Condition, or leave the description as "Condition Unknown." You can also select an Evaluator, or check Evaluator Unknown, and select a date for the record of Artwork Condition. When you are done, click Next.

Finish. The last page of the New Artwork window allows you to add the Artwork to an existing Set, or create a new Set with the Artwork, and to open the Artwork into a Detail window for further editing. From this last page you can also create a new Consignment, Acquisition, or Loan with the Artwork - the New Consignment, New Acquisition, or New Loan window will open right after you click on the Finish button.