What is Provenance?

The provenance of a work of art is its history of ownership, from the time of its creation to the present. Beyond its role in influencing monetary value and providing information on the authenticity of the artist and the art object,  povenance is also important to understanding art history and relevant for legal and ethical reasons. Research into the history of an object may bring to light broken chains of ownership caused by theft and looting in the past.

Nazi Plunder and Art Restitution

The Nazis plundered cultural property from every territory they occupied. They stole from both public and private holdings and especially from Jewish families throughout Europe.  The provenance research tries to determine whether any works of art in collections could have been unlawfully appropriated in the Nazi era and not subsequently restituted to their rightful owners. Very often, due to Nazi persecutions, family members live in many countries all over the world. Here there is also a chance that the families will be reunited. Art restitution is a very emotional experience for the families and it is a powerful symbol of the possibility of some justice, even belated.

Services

We offer a discreet provenance research service to descendants of victims of Nazi persecution and art collectors and provide our clients with a well-researched report.

More about Provenance Research and Art Restitution

https://www.metmuseum.org/blogs/collection-insights/2018/provenance-rese...

https://www.ifar.org/Provenance_Guide.pdf