Dartabase REST API

Developer documentation

Programmatic access to artwork, artist, institution, and exhibition metadata. 15,000+ records from 29 institutions. JSON responses, CORS enabled.

Get an API key OpenAPI spec

Base URL

https://dartabase.art/api/v1/

All endpoints return JSON. All responses include an X-Source attribution header.

Authentication

Pass your API key in the x-api-key request header. Requests without a key are accepted as free-tier (rate limits apply).

curl https://dartabase.art/api/v1/artworks \
  -H "x-api-key: dbk_your_key_here"

Keys start with dbk_. Get one at /pricing. Keep your key private; contact institutions@dartabase.com to rotate a compromised key.

Rate limits

Free (no key)100 requests / day

Researcher1,000 requests / day

InstitutionalCustom

Exceeded limits return 429 Too Many Requests. Invalid or revoked keys return 401 Unauthorized.

Endpoints

GET/api/v1/artworks

Paginated list of artworks. Supports full-text search and facet filters.

Parameters

qstring?Full-text search query

pageinteger?Page number, default 1

decadestring?Filter by decade, e.g. 1980s

institutionstring?Institution name (partial match)

hasImageboolean?true to return only records with images

mediumstring?Medium bucket: Painting, Print, Drawing, Photography, Sculpture, Ceramics, Textile

Example

curl "https://dartabase.art/api/v1/artworks?q=rothko&decade=1950s" \
  -H "x-api-key: dbk_your_key_here"

{
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "uuid",
      "title": "No. 61 (Rust and Blue)",
      "artist": { "id": "uuid", "name": "Mark Rothko" },
      "date": "1953",
      "medium": "Oil on canvas",
      "dimensions": "294.6 x 232.1 cm",
      "institution": { "id": "uuid", "name": "Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles" },
      "image_url": "https://...",
      "source": "moma",
      "cite_url": "https://dartabase.art/cite/moma/123"
    }
  ],
  "meta": { "page": 1, "perPage": 24, "total": 12 }
}

GET/api/v1/artworks/:id

Single artwork by Dartabase UUID. Includes pre-built citations in Chicago, MLA, and APA.

Example

curl "https://dartabase.art/api/v1/artworks/56277a87-6d7b-4aeb-90ee-3f35d7d69e4c" \
  -H "x-api-key: dbk_your_key_here"

{
  "data": {
    "id": "56277a87-6d7b-4aeb-90ee-3f35d7d69e4c",
    "title": "LNAPRK",
    "artist": { "id": "uuid", "name": "Jean-Michel Basquiat" },
    "date": "1982",
    "medium": "Acrylic and oil stick on canvas",
    "dimensions": "243.8 x 190.5 cm",
    "institution": { "id": "uuid", "name": "Whitney Museum of American Art" },
    "image_url": "https://...",
    "cultural_notice": null,
    "source": "whitney",
    "source_id": "1240",
    "source_url": "https://whitney.org/...",
    "cite_url": "https://dartabase.art/cite/whitney/1240",
    "citations": {
      "chicago": "Basquiat, Jean-Michel. LNAPRK. 1982...",
      "mla": "Basquiat, Jean-Michel. LNAPRK...",
      "apa": "Basquiat, J.-M. (1982). LNAPRK..."
    }
  }
}

GET/api/v1/artists/:id

Single artist by Dartabase UUID. Includes a paginated list of works in the database.

Example

curl "https://dartabase.art/api/v1/artists/uuid" \
  -H "x-api-key: dbk_your_key_here"

{
  "data": {
    "id": "uuid",
    "name": "Louise Bourgeois",
    "nationality": "French-American",
    "birth_year": 1911,
    "death_year": 2010,
    "bio": "French-American sculptor known for large-scale installation and textile work.",
    "wikidata_id": "Q159409",
    "artworks": [ { "id": "uuid", "title": "Maman", "date": "1999" } ],
    "artwork_count": 72
  }
}

GET/api/v1/institutions/:id

Single institution by Dartabase UUID. Includes a list of held works.

Example

curl "https://dartabase.art/api/v1/institutions/uuid" \
  -H "x-api-key: dbk_your_key_here"

{
  "data": {
    "id": "uuid",
    "name": "Art Institute of Chicago",
    "city": "Chicago",
    "country": "United States",
    "website_url": "https://artic.edu",
    "artworks": [ { "id": "uuid", "title": "A Sunday on La Grande Jatte", "date": "1886" } ],
    "artwork_count": 1350
  }
}

Response codes

200Success

400Bad request — invalid parameter

401Unauthorized — invalid or revoked API key

404Not found

429Too many requests — rate limit exceeded

500Internal server error

Data and attribution

All records originate from open-access museum collections. See /sources for full provenance. When publishing derived work, attribute as: “Data sourced in part from Dartabase (dartabase.art).”

Records marked cultural_notice: true contain Indigenous cultural material. Handle with appropriate care. See /about for ICIP policy.

Questions

API questions, institutional access, or custom integrations: institutions@dartabase.com