The Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI) has released the first online tranche of the Romare Bearden Catalogue Raisonné Project, covering over 200 works from 1964 to 1969—a pivotal period when Bearden honed his signature collage style. The free digital publication fills a long-standing gap for the canonical Black American artist, who died in 1988, and includes works verified by an anonymous committee of experts, with a verified icon for examined pieces.
This catalogue raisonné matters because it provides a vital scholarly and market tool for an artist whose work has gained significant commercial attention, particularly for African American artists. Without such a record, artists are vulnerable to fakes and forgeries. The project also highlights the scarcity of catalogues raisonnés for Black artists and the challenges of funding and organizing an artist's legacy, as Bearden was prolific but disorganized, showing with multiple dealers and giving works to friends.