PROVENANCE RESEARCH
Art provenance and ownership.
For private owners, collectors, family offices, and professional advisers investigating the history of an artwork or collection.
We research previous ownership, transactions, and transfers to clarify gaps in provenance and support questions requiring further documentary investigation.
Reading the documentary trail.
A name in an inventory or a reference in correspondence can offer a lead. Its significance depends on the surrounding record. We compare sources, examine inconsistencies, and distinguish a documented transfer from an inference.
Research can support questions of provenance or potential restitution. The findings address the historical evidence; legal conclusions remain with qualified counsel.
- Ownership & transfers
- Investigating the people, transactions, and events recorded in an object’s history.
- Archives & family connections
- Examining institutional collections and family records for evidence that may clarify ownership.
- Sources & remaining gaps
- Setting out references, their significance, and the points the surviving record does not establish.