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Arts & Communication Correlations between artworks and contacts

The Online Picasso Project originated from an No doubt, collecting biographical data includes
[9]
emphasis on an interactive, digitally encoded art selection. We are limited to those people, events,
publication, moving away from an understanding of art places, etc., that have been mentioned in the existing
criticism being predominantly stative and print-based. biographies. For clarification, the labeling/classification
It comprises a complex system of interrelated databases that we have chosen is also based on the terms normally
that encompass both texts and images pertaining to used in the existing biographies when referring to those
Pablo Picasso. As a result of close collaboration between influences. We agree that one needs to be careful with the
art scholars and computer scientists, the Online Picasso selection procedures of research keywords, attributions,
Project has adopted an innovative architecture with three and subjective interpretation, which is inherent in
main objectives: (i) Facilitating the maintenance of a vast data collection approaches as well. There is seldom such
collection of artworks along with their associated critical a thing as “objective data collection.” Our selection was
narratives, (ii) overcoming the limitations of traditional based on the frequency with which specific people, places,
printed art publications, and (iii) providing new ways for events, etc., were mentioned in the existing biographies.
composing, browsing, and exploring the artworks that Our analysis could even be interpreted in reverse, that is,
were previously unattainable in printed versions. The given an established influence, what biographer referred
biographical entries included in the Online Picasso Project to it in his/her narrative? Furthermore, many individuals
are particularly important as they provide a historical and events could be explored in the future from different
framework crucial to the understanding of the artist’s angles. For instance, one may explore the correlation
legacy, which is tightly bound to the experiences he had between homosexuality (in the case of Max Jacob,
in his life. Thus, our study aims to employ this historical Gertrude Stein, Wilhelm Uhde, etc.) and Picasso’s artistic
framework to highlight the hidden connections between creativity.
Picasso’s life and his artistic creations. To summarize, we explored and verified the correlations
Our methodology is based on the taxonomy-based between Picasso’s personal contacts at certain times and
approach we used to identify the semantic domains in his artistic works, which can be manifested as variations
Picasso’s poetry , but with three differences. First, we in some of the artist’s biographies. These correlations will
[10]
analyzed the term frequency of the keywords and entities also provide an alternate method for exploring the existing
found in each biographical entry within the databases document collection using a curated list of keywords and
of the Online Picasso Project. Specifically, from a list metadata as an ordering criterion. In this sense, our results
of relationships/friends/dealers, we examined who is draw on our previous work that utilized interactive calendars
mentioned the most and how they relate to each other. and timelines, as it also involves utilizing appropriate user
For instance, are certain dealers mentioned when a certain interfaces to visualize the results. The methodological
model (person posing for the artist) is also mentioned? contribution of our proposal is to exemplify the departure
Second, we analyzed how the frequencies in those mentions from traditional analysis while devising our own methods
correlate with specific years, seasons, and months. If so, based on other disciplines (in this case, statistics and
might there be a demonstrable correlation not only with a computer science) to address research questions that are
certain model posing for the artist but also with a certain unique to the digital humanities.
dealer or collector in specific periods in his career? Finally,
are certain techniques (oil, watercolor, gouache, etc.) more 2. Analysis
frequent in some of those periods? If so, could they be related The Online Picasso Project employs a MySQL database
to the people he is in contact with? Our computational to store its records and we were concerned with
[11]
analysis aims to systematically confirm correlations that extracting the keywords and entities that were encoded
until now have been individually mentioned by art scholars. in the “Narrative” and “Link” tables. Each record in the
Of course, the selection of specific individuals and “Narrative” table has event metadata that includes start and
events was not determined at random. As it has been end dates and a description of the event that took place.
pointed out, meetings between individuals, even with a The metadata in the description field is encoded using
certain frequency, do not qualify them as a reliable fact SGML (as a framework for defining markup languages),
of influence to use for an evaluation or interpretation of and this field has links to people, places, and artworks
Picasso’s work. For that reason, the names we selected for corresponding to entries in the “Link” table. These links are
our analysis have been established as clear influences, such encoded using a “linkId” element. In turn, each “linkId”
as companions, friends, dealers, writers, and artists that value corresponds to a primary key in the Link table.
have undoubtedly left a mark in his work, according to Figure 1 shows the relationships between the “Narrative”
multiple authors. and the “Link” tables in the MySQL database.

Volume 1 Issue 2 (2023) 2 https://doi.org/10.36922/ac.1004