Visiting The Met? The Temple of Dendur will be closed Sunday, April 27 through Friday, May 9. The Met Fifth Avenue will be closed Monday, May 5.

Record-keeping & Ledgers

Works from paintings and account books to conceptual art and scraps of papyrus contain or represent records of ideas and information.

Play Art Links

Plan of Love, Kurt Schwitters German, Collage of cut and torn papers, cellophane, opaque matte paint, and torn fabric with nails, black ink, and graphite mounted on illustration and paper boards, in artist's frame — Plan of Love
Kurt Schwitters
1919 and 1923

Squaring: 2; 4; 16; 256; 65,536, Jennifer Bartlett American, Enamel over silkscreen grid on 33 baked enamel on steel plates — Squaring: 2; 4; 16; 256; 65,536
Jennifer Bartlett
1973–74

Untitled #2, Howardena Pindell American, Ink and punched paper, graphite, on paper — Untitled #2
Howardena Pindell
1973

Account Book Ledger, John Carlin American, Ink on paper, marbleized cardboard, American — Account Book Ledger
John Carlin
1835–56

Papyrus inscribed with an account and a religious text, Papyrus, ink — Papyrus inscribed with an account and a religious text
ca. 1961–1917 B.C.

Prelude to a Civilization, Victor Brauner Romanian, Encaustic and ink on Masonite — Prelude to a Civilization
Victor Brauner
1954

Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66), Ink, opaque watercolor, and gold on paper — Tughra (Insignia) of Sultan Süleiman the Magnificent (r. 1520–66)
ca. 1555–60

Portrait of Count Basie, San Francisco, John Gutmann American, born Germany, Gelatin silver print — Portrait of Count Basie, San Francisco
John Gutmann
1939, printed later

Taking the Census, Francis William Edmonds American, Oil on canvas, American — Taking the Census
Francis William Edmonds
1854

Purse, House of Chanel French, leather, metal, plastic (vinyl), French — Purse
House of Chanel
Karl Lagerfeld
spring/summer 2004

Homage to the Square: Soft Spoken, Josef Albers American, born Germany, Oil on Masonite — Homage to the Square: Soft Spoken
Josef Albers
1969

Livro Noite e Dia (Book of Night and Day), Lygia Pape Brazilian, Acrylic on wood, 30 parts — Livro Noite e Dia (Book of Night and Day)
Lygia Pape
1963–76