A guide to abbreviations commonly used when describing pictures.
| ac or a/c | artist's copy |
| a/f, a.f. | as found |
| aquaforti, aqua | etched |
| aquatinta | etched in aquatint |
| attrib. | attributed to |
| ap or a/p | artist's proof |
| b.a.t. or bat | Bon À Tirer (final print proof) |
| b/w | black and white |
| b. | born |
| bears sig. | bears signature |
| blk | black |
| br | brown |
| C | century |
| c., cir., circ. | circa |
| chk. | chalk |
| chl. | charcoal |
| cm. | centimetres |
| col | colour |
| c/w | comes with, complete with, coupled with, combined with |
| d. | dated |
| del., delt., d. | he (or she) drew it |
| desig. | traced out or drew |
| diso. | drew it |
| dr | drawing |
| e.a. | épreuves d'artiste (French: artist's proof) |
| ed., edn. | edition of |
| est. | estimate |
| exec. | executed |
| excud/excudit | he (or she) printed or engraved it |
| exh., exhib. | exhibited |
| F&G | framed and glazed |
| f. | foundry |
| f., fecit., fac. | he (or she) made it |
| fl., floruit | flourished |
| h.c. | hors commerce (French: not for sale) |
| gs. | guineas |
| htd | heightened |
| i. | inscribed |
| imp. | he (or she) printed it |
| inc., incidit. | engraved it |
| indis | indistinct |
| inits. | initials |
| in. or ins. | inch or inches |
| inv., invenit, inuent | he (or she) designed/invented it |
| jnr. | junior |
| lit. | literature |
| lith., lithog. | lithographed by |
| mono. | monogram |
| n.d., N.D. | no date, not dated |
| n.p., N.P. | no publisher |
| num. | number |
| o/c | oil on canvas |
| pa or p/a | artist's proof |
| pat | patina |
| pinx., pxt., pinxt., pinxit | he (or she) painted it |
| prov. | provenance |
| pl | plate |
| pp | printer's proof |
| /R | illustrated in sale catalogue |
| rec. | rectangular |
| recto | the front side of a picture |
| rem. | remains of |
| s. | signed |
| sc., sct., sculp., sculpt, sculpsit | he (or she) engraved or carved it |
| sig. | signature |
| snr. | senior |
| s/n | signed and numbered |
| st. | stamped |
| verso | reverse side, or back, of a picture |
| w/c | watercolour |
| ? | unknown dimensions, date or nationality, or illegible initial/s or letter/s |
A list of art institution, art organisation and art group acronyms, abbreviations and initials may be found here.