Provenance Resources
Provenance is the "record of ownership of movable
works of art" according to the Dictionary
of Art , which has an excellent overview and bibliography of the
subject. The Art Library also has a substantial number of catalogues
raisonnés for many artists.
Another good starting point is a work prompted by the need for
provenance research on works of art looted during the Holocaust: The
AAM guide to Provenance Research (Art Reference N3999 .Y45 2001) Nancy H.
Yeide, Konstantin Akinsha, Amy L. Walsh. Washington, DC: American Association
of Museums, c2001. Covers basic provenance research, Holocaust-Era
provenance research, and includes invaluable appendices on the history
of collecting, collectors, dealers and auction sales, and more. Excellent
bibliography, list of key art libraries and photographic archives, and more. The "Bible" of provenance research.
Journal of
the History of Collections (1989-to date)
This is one of the most important journals for the topic. Indexed by:
Art Index and Bibliography of the History of Art as well as other indexes.
Current and back issues are available online back to 1996.
The Provenance Index of the Getty Art History Information
Program
This is a key resource for research, with both print and online resources.
These include the print Documents for the History of Collecting Series
of Italian, Netherlandish and Spanish Inventories of Paintings (Art
Reference - ND456 .B79 1997 and ND621.N2 L3 1992 ), and The Index
of Paintings Sold in the British Isles During the Nineteenth Century
(Art Reference - ND47 .I5 1988). The Program "accumulates and disseminates
information related to the history of collecting and the provenance
of individual works of art (primarily European paintings) gathered from
sales catalogues, archival records, and museum files. The Index provides
scholars and museum curators with important information about the history
of taste and collecting" as well as provenance.
Provenance Index
Databases
The Provenance Index Databases contain information related to the history
of collecting and the provenance of individual works of art, primarily
Western European paintings. Indexed transcriptions of sales catalogs,
archival documents, and museum files are contained within, and serve
as primary source material for establishing history of ownership.
Other online provenance resources include:
LACMA (Los Angeles
County Museum of Art) Provenance Research Project
Established in 1999, the program's web site focuses on looted art but
also includes bibliography and links to other museum websites with provenance
Information, such as:
Art Institute of
Chicago
Cleveland
Museum of Art
J. Paul Getty Museum
Harvard University Museums
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of
Modern Art, New York
National Gallery of Art,
Washington
National
Museums of the United Kingdom
Musées National
Récupération [MNR]
Other National Projects
The British Museum World War II Provenannce
NARA (National Archives and Records Administration Art Provenance and
Claims Research Project)
A web site for Holocaust-Era provenance research.
National
Museum Directors Conference
A UK Holocaust-Era site that includes reports (Spoliation of works of
art during the Holocaust and World War II period) based on collections
in numerous national and non-national galleries in England, Scotland
and Wales.
The National Gallery of Canada's Provenance Research Project
These pages present the National Gallery of Canada's continuing research
on the provenance (history of ownership) of works in its collection
during the period from 1933 to 1945.
Other Major Resources for Provenance Research
Graves, Algernon.
Art Sales from Early in the Eighteenth Century to Early in the
Twentieth Century (mostly old master and early English pictures.)
London, A. Graves, 1918-21. 3 vols. (Art Reference - N8675 .G7)
Lugt, Frits, 1884-1970.
Les marques de collections de dessins & d'estampes; marques
estampillies et écrites de collections particuliéres et
publiques. Amsterdam, Vereenigde drukkerijen, 1921. 1 vol. and supp.
(Art Reference - N8380 .L8)
Mireur, H.
Dictionnaire des vents d'art faites en France et à
l'étranger pendant les XVIIIme & XIXme siècles. Paris,
L. Soullié; [etc., etc.] 1901-1912. 7 vols. (Art Reference - N8675 .M6)
________.
Répertoire des catalogues de ventes publiques, intéressant
l'art
ou la curiosité, tableaux, dessins, estampes, miniatures, sculptures.
La Haye, M. Nijhoff, 1938-1987. 4 vols. (Art Reference - N8650 .L8)
SCIPIO: Art
and Rare Book Sale Catalogs
"the only online union catalog of auction catalog records in existence".
Provides bibliographic access to information on the provenance of art
objects and rare books, the history of collecting, and contemporary
and historical market trends. SCIPIO describes art and rare book auction
sales catalogs dating from the late 16th c. to currently scheduled forthcoming
auctions. Records include dates and places of sale, catalog title, the
auction house, sellers, institutional holdings, and other information.
Available at Duke, or at Davis Reference. The Sloane Art Library's auction
catalog collection is located in Wilson Annex (Storage.) The North Carolina
Museum of Art Library's rich auction catalog collection is on open shelves,
so may be easier to use.
Other Cultural Property Sites
The
Illicit Antiquities Research Centre
Its purpose is to monitor and report upon the detrimental effects of
the international trade in illicit antiquities (i.e. antiquities which
have been stolen or clandestinely excavated and illegally exported)
International Foundation
for Art Research
The International Foundation for Art Research (IFAR) is a not-for-profit
educational and research organization dedicated to integrity in the
visual arts. IFAR offers impartial and authoritative information on
authenticity, ownership, theft, and other artistic, legal, and ethical
issues concerning art objects.
Interpol:
Stolen Works of Art
Musée
des Beaux-arts de Montréal
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