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In today’s increasingly complex and evolving art world, provenance is a powerful means of determining a work’s authenticity.
For provenance to serve the purpose of establishing that a work of art is authentic, it must contain the entire and uninterrupted chain of ownership from the artist’s hand to the present day.
Every owner of the artwork and every day since its creation must be accounted for and documented. It is this complete record of where the artwork has been during its entire life, which constitutes proof of authenticity.
Any period of time that is unaccounted for is a loophole. This is when a substitution could have taken place. If there is a missing link in the provenance, there is no longer a certainty that the work we know today is the same one recorded initially.
Reconstructing and documenting where a work of art has been from its creation until today is a complicated undertaking. It can prove as challenging for a New-York-School work of the 1950s as for a Baroque Italian artwork of the 1600s.
We, at Art Experts, have unparalleled experience with provenance research and the most extensive provenance research resources of any art research firm.
We are art detectives, working diligently in specialized archives worldwide.
Art Experts’ network of art historians and researchers spans more than fifteen countries including the US, the UK, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Czech Republic, Russia, Canada, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Cuba and Australia.
Our researchers have multi-lingual research capabilities in fifteen languages. We know how to get the most out of our research time and how to solve tough provenance questions tactically.
Can a work be authenticated without provenance?
In investigating a work of art, the provenance route is an option, but it’s not the only way of demonstrating authenticity. Lack of provenance is not a serious impediment to authenticity if the artwork can pass other tests. The older the work of art, the less clear its provenance is likely to be. But the converse is not necessarily true; often a relatively recent work will have an ambiguous provenance.
Looted art and proof of ownership
Another application of provenance research is the determination of legitimacy of ownership. This is crucial for the restitution of art looted during the Nazi era. Art Experts provides provenance research services to law firms and individuals seeking World War II era (1933-1945) restitution.
For more information about our provenance research, art authentication or appraisal services, please contact us at info@artexpertswebsite.com or 1-386-676-0160. |
