What does “integrity” mean in relation to a work of art?
Defining and structuring an evaluation scale using the example of a painting
Summary
The concept of integrity has been increasingly applied in the preservation of cultural heritage since the 1990s, especially within the framework of the UNESCO Operational Guidelines of the World Heritage Convention (Term “integrity” since 2005, revised 2024) and through the Nara Document on Authenticity (1994). While these two concepts primarily refer to monuments and to potential World Heritage sites, the notion of integrity is also becoming increasingly important for individual works of art – for example, paintings.
The present article defines the integrity of an artwork based on the UNESCO understanding and on material and immaterial criteria of evaluation. The aim is to develop a comprehensible and reliable standard for evaluating condition, value, and possible impairment.
Unknown painter, “Salvator Mundi,” 19th century, oil on canvas. Is the integrity of the authentic painting in terms of completeness/wholeness, intactness, and long-term preservation still verifiable?
1. Starting Point: Integrity in Cultural Heritage Preservation
The UNESCO Operational Guidelines define integrity as the completeness and intactness of the characteristics that carry the universal value of a cultural property. Three questions are central:
- Are all essential components still present (completeness)?
- Are significant impairments present (intactness)?
- Is long‑term preservation ensured (protection and context)?
The Nara Document expands the understanding of authenticity. It emphasizes that material, design, function, tradition, setting, and spiritual expression can all equally carry significance. Integrity, therefore, is not solely a question of substance, but also of significance and cultural context.
2. Transfer to the Individual Artwork
Transferring this understanding to an individual artwork, for example a painting, shows that integrity here also denotes the totality of those properties that carry the work in its identity and expression.
In the context of a painting, integrity means:
- that all work‑determining components are present,
- that no substantial or design‑related interventions distort the expression,
- that conservation conditions and context do not sustainably impair perception.
Integrity thus describes the relationship between condition, meaning and effect.
Left: Fritz Wiegmann (1902–1973), Still Life with Mask, 1928, oil on canvas, b+p Collection, Würzburg. Below: The painting in the artist’s apartment, 1928. Does the current form of presentation alter the integrity of the work in comparison to its original context? Have any interventions or changes been made since 1928 that have compromised the integrity of the work? Are the current conservation conditions suitable for ensuring the long-term integrity of the painting, or do they pose risks of substance loss or irreversible changes?
3. Material Criteria of Integrity
The material criteria concern the physical condition of the work. These include in particular:
- original paint layer and colour substance,
- support (canvas, wood, etc.),
- original framing, if relevant to the work,
- condition without significant overpaintings or material losses,
- documented restoration interventions.
These criteria are useful because they capture those material properties that are directly carriers of artistic design. Without original substance, the work loses not only material but also historical authenticity.
In terms of the UNESCO Operational Guidelines, these criteria reflect the aspects of completeness and intactness. If original substance is missing or has been significantly altered, the core of the integrity is affected.
4. Immaterial Criteria of Integrity
In addition to the material dimension, immaterial criteria are crucial. These include:
- artistic intention,
- compositional coherence,
- stylistic unity,
- iconographic expression,
- provenance and historical embedding,
- presentation and perception context.
These factors determine the intellectual and cultural identity of the work. A painting can be materially largely preserved and yet have its integrity impaired — for example, if massive reworking has changed the picture’s message or if the context distorts the intended perception.
The proximity to the Nara Document is evident, which expressly does not limit authenticity to materiality. Design, expression, and cultural significance are equivalent integrity factors.
5. Representation of UNESCO Criteria Through Material and Immaterial Standards
The three guiding principles of the UNESCO-Integrity defintion can be applied to a painting as follows:
- Completeness is described through the presence of all material and conceptual work components.
- Intactness concerns both the physical substance and the visual and content coherence.
- Secured preservation and context correspond to conservation conditions, documented provenance, and presentation that does not distort perception.
Material and immaterial criteria together reflect these three levels; they complement each other and prevent purely substance‑oriented (as done by Cesare Brand) or purely interpretative considerations (as done by art historians).
6. Conclusion
The integrity of an artwork — for example, a painting — denotes the preserved unity of substance, design, expression, and context. It is not an absolute value, but the result of a structured consideration.
Orientation to the UNESCO Operational Guidelines and the Nara Document on Authenticity offers a clear system. Differentiation into material and immaterial criteria enables a comprehensible description of those properties that carry the work in its identity.
Integrity thus becomes a measurable standard that meets both art historical and legal requirements. It orders interpretation without replacing it and creates a reliable basis for expert reports, insurance valuations, and judicial decisions.
Dr. Martin Pracher, March 2026
