Totteridge Gallery : Fine Art

Fine Paintings, Watercolours & Drawings
Selected Etchings, Engravings & Prints

Common Art Abbreviations

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.

TOTTERIDGE GALLERY
74 High Street, Earls Colne, Colchester, Essex, CO6 2QX, UK
Telephone 01787 220 075
Internet TotteridgeGallery.com