MUSM 502: COLLECTIONS April 22, 2022

MANAGEMENT

ETHICS PRESENTATION:

Provenance Research
in Art Museums
HALEY RUTLEDGE
What is
Provenance?

Provenance: history of ownership of an object, including known owners, dates of ownership,

places of ownership, and methods of transfer (sale, gift, descent, etc.)
What does provenance do?

01 Authentification of an object

02

03
01 Authentication of an object

Claude Monet, Le Matin, temps brumeux, Pourville (Misty

Morning at Pourville), 1882, oil on canvas, 24 x 29 1/8 in. (61 x 74
cm) frame: 31 3/4 × 37 1/8 × 2 1/2 in. (80.6 × 94.3 × 6.4 cm),
Museum purchase with funds provided by 1977 and 1980-1983
Museum Dinner and Balls, 1981.40
What does provenance do?

01 Authentification of an object

02
Establishes meaningful value and context for
an object

03
02 Establishes meaningful value and
context for an object

François-Hubert Drouais, Carlos Fernando FitzJames-Stuart,

Marquess of Jamaica, 1765, oil on canvas, 28 1/2 x 23 3/4 in.
(72.4 x 60.3 cm) frame: 35 1/4 × 30 × 3 5/8 in. (89.5 × 76.2 × 9.2
cm), Eugenia Woodward Hitt Collection, 1991.252
What does provenance do?

01 Authentification of an object

02
Establishes meaningful value and context for
an object

03 Establishes rightful ownership of an object

 How is provenance researched?
Where to start:
Visual and physical examination of the object
 How is provenance researched?
Where to start:
Visual and physical examination of the object

Where to go next:
Known object documentation
Research databases
Public records (census, obituaries, etc.)
Archives
Auction catalogs
Catalogue raisonnés
Dealers and auction houses
Scholars
Provenance examples

Gustave Courbet, Entrée d'un gave (Source of a Mountain Stream), 1876, oil on
canvas, 17 7/8 x 23 1/4 in. (45.4 x 59.1 cm) frame: 25 1/8 × 30 3/8 × 2 1/2 in. (63.8 ×
77.2 × 6.4 cm), Museum purchase with funds provided by the Birmingham Museum
of Art Endowment for Acquisitions; Members of the Birmingham Museum of Art; Dr.
and Mrs. David Sperling in honor of their friends; Mr. Arthur E. Curl, Jr. in memory of
his beloved wife, Donnie; Illges-Chenoweth Foundation; Dr. and Mrs. Jack C. Geer;
Mr. James E. Simpson; Mr. and Mrs. James A. Livingston, Jr.; Mrs. Evelyn Allen; Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas W. Barker, Jr.; and Mr. and Mrs. Harold H. Goings, 1999.60
Provenance examples
purchases. A letter dated September 26, 1941 from Walter Andreas Hofer to Hermann Goering
1. Auctioned but unsold at Galerie Georges Petit, May 22, 1919, lot 12.
Anonymous owner, by May 1919 [see note 1]; purchased [translated in M1782 from German] describes several “degenerate” works as “suitable for your
collection, partly to be used for exchanges” or “highly welcome as exchange pictures.” National
by Georges Petit (1856-1920) [see note 2]. Moïse Lévy de
Benzion (1873-1943), Paris [see note 3]; confiscated by
Einsatzstab Rosenberg, December 7, 1940, and held at
 . An auction report from a newspaper, found in the 1999.60 object file (source unknown), provides “Entree
2
d’un gave (45-59) (d. 5.000) à M. Petit: 7.300.” An annotated auction catalogue at the Institut National
Archives, M1782, OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports, 1945-1946: O.S.S. Art Looting
Investigation Unit-Consolidated Interrogation Reports, Roll 1, Report No. 2, The Goering Collection:
d'Histoire de l’Art reads: “[illegible] 5000/7300 / Petit.” Robert Fernier concludes that 1999.60 went unsold at
Attachment 1.
the 1919 auction and was then purchased by Galerie Georges Petit. See Fernier, Robert. La Vie et l'œuvre de
Gustave Courbet. Vol. II. Paris: Wildenstein, 1977, no. 1041.
8. The Galerie Fischer archive cited in endnote 5 records the buyer as “Raeber.” A December 10, 1945
report of the Roberts Commission also indicates the buyer as “Willi Raeber”: National Archives M1944,
the Neuschwanstein depot, Germany [see note 4]; on
deposit to Walter Andreas Hofer (1893-about 1971), July
12, 1941 [see note 5]; delivered to Hermann Göring (1893-
 . The Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (E.R.R.) inventory number assigned to 1999.60 is L-B 57. The “L-
3
Records of the American Commission for the Protection and Salvage of Artistic and Historic
B” indicates that the painting is from the collection of Levy de Benzion. See National Archives, M1943,
Monuments in War Areas (The Roberts Commission), 1943-1946: Records Relating to the Art Looting
Records and photographic prints from the Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (E.R.R.), 1940-1945: Appendix Investigation Unit of the Office of Strategic Services, 1940-1946 [A1, Entry 73], Roll 92: Report on
1, List of ERR Alphabetical Codes.
Mission to Switzerland, 10 Dec. 1945, Attachment B: Looted Works of Art from Confiscations of Allied
Nationals Discovered in Switzerland, no. 6. “Sold to Willi RAEBER of Basel, sold to Galerie ROSENGART
1946), October 20, 1942 [see note 6]; by exchange to
dealer Galerie Fischer, Lucerne [see note 7]; purchased
by Willi Raeber, Basel [see note 8]; purchased by dealer
Galerie Rosengart, Lucerne [see note 9]; purchased by
Arthur Stoll (1887-1971), Switzerland, March 13, 1945 [see
 . E.R.R inventory card: National Archives, M1943, Records and photographic prints from the Einsatzstab
4
Reichsleiter Rosenberg (E.R.R.), 1940-1945: Roll 11, L-B 57, “Courbet, Felsschlucht mit Flusslauf.” The
of Lucerne; then to Swiss Collector.”
December 7, 1940 date of confiscation comes from Göring’s collection inventory: National Archives, M1782,
OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports, 1945-1946: O.S.S. Art Looting Investigation Unit-Consolidated
9. See note 6, confirmed by gallery label on stretcher of 1999.60.
Interrogation Reports, Roll 1, Report No. 2, The Goering Collection: Attachment 5, no. 51: “Liste der für die
Sammlung des Reichsmarschalls Hermann Göring abgegebenen Kunstgegenstände,” dated October 20,
10. See note 6. The full name of Arthur Stoll and his date of purchase is provided in Tisa Francini,
Heuss, and Kreis, 2001, p. 91. They cite Schweizerisches Institut für Kunstwissenschaft, Zürich
1942. This list claims that these works came to Göring from Paris, but pages 130-131 of the same report archives: “SIK, Nachlass Stoll, 3/12, Separatbeilagen. “Courbet.” 6, Rechnung vom 13.3.1945.”
clarify that Walter Andreas Hofer received the works from Neuschwanstein, not Paris, on July 12, 1941.
11. Paule-Juliette Levi de Benzion, the recognized heir of Moïse Lévy de Benzion, claimed 1999.60 and
note 10]; restituted to Paule-Juliette Levi de Benzion, née
Rabrassé, Paris and Cairo, by the Federal Supreme Court
 . Hofer was Göring’s principal art agent. For the inventory of works taken by Hofer to give to Göring, see:
5 others on April 24, 1947 through the Swiss Raubgutprozesse. For more on the legal proceedings, see
National Archives, M1946, Records Concerning the Central Collecting Points (“Ardelia Hall Collection”): Thomas Buomberger. Raubkunst-Kunstraub. Zürich: Orell Füssli Verlag, 1998, p. 116-120; and Tisa
Munich Central Collecting Point, 1945–1951: Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (E.R.R.), Roll 122: Attachment Francini, Heuss, and Kreis, 2001, p. 376-377 and 381-382. For the court decision, see Archiv
52, no. 21. Bundesgericht, R 5, Kammer zur Beurteilung von Raubgutklagen, Sitzung i.S. Levi de Benzion gg.
Bührle, Fischer, Böniger-Ris, Still, die Firma Ursina, Dubied and Jörin, 1948.
of Switzerland based on a legal judgement, December 15,
1948 [see note 11]. Dealer Galerie Fritz Nathan, Zurich, by
November 1952 [see note 12]. Possibly dealer New
 . For Göring’s receipt of 1999.60, see: National Archives, M1782, OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports,
6
1945-1946: O.S.S. Art Looting Investigation Unit-Consolidated Interrogation Reports, Roll 1, Report No. 2, The
Goering Collection: Attachment 5, no. 51: “Liste der für die Sammlung des Reichsmarschalls Hermann Göring
abgegebenen Kunstgegenstände,” dated October 20, 1942.
12. Ownership noted in Fernier, 1977, no. 1041. The painting was included in the exhibition Gemälde,
Handzeichnungen, Plastiken, Galerie Fritz Nathan, Zürich, November 1952, no. 3, as “Le Ruisseau Land
les Roches.” A handwritten label on the lower right stretcher bar bears the same title.
13. It is uncertain is 1999.60 was owned by the New Gallery or only included in the exhibition Gustave
Gallery, New York, by 1961 [see note 13]. Possibly dealer
Salander-O’Reilly, 1998 [see note 14]. Private collection,
 . For the exchange inventory, see National Archives, M1782, OSS Art Looting Investigation Unit Reports,
7
1945-1946: O.S.S. Art Looting Investigation Unit-Consolidated Interrogation Reports, Roll 1, Report No. 2, The Courbet, Landscape and Seascape at the New Gallery, New York, October 17, 1961 - November 8,
1961, no. 15.
Goering Collection: A. Exchange No. 1 - Goering with Fischer of Lucerne, page 130, no. 6.
14. 1999.60 is included in the catalogue for the exhibition Gustave Courbet (1819-1877): Later
Boston; dealer Artemis Fine Arts, Inc., New York;
purchased by the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama,
January 11, 1999
 he Galerie Fischer archives record 1999.60 as “Felsenlandschaft.” The “Liste ‘Verkauf der Impressionisten’
T
Paintings. Salander O'Reilly Galleries, New York, January 5, 1998 - February 28, 1998; Nassau County
o.A., o.D. [1 S.]” from the Fischer archives is reproduced in Esther Tisa Francini, Anja Heuss, and Georg Kreis.
Fluchtgut-Raubgut. Zu¨rich: Chronos, 2001, p. 508.
Museum of Art, Roslyn Harbor, New York, March 7, 1998 - May 29, 1998, no. 33, ill. The exhibition
traveled to Nassau without 1999.60. The catalogue entry for this painting does not mention ownership.
Goering would acquire paintings with the intention of selling them to generate more funds for other
Provenance examples

Robert Motherwell, Reversible Collage, 1960, black oil paint and

collage of torn paper with touches of blue paint on rag paper, sheet:
28 3/4 × 22 7/8 in. (73 × 58.1 cm) mat: 35 1/4 × 29 3/8 in. (89.5 × 74.6
cm) frame: 36 × 30 in. (91.4 × 76.2 cm), Collection of the Art Fund, Inc.
at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Purchase with funds provided by
the Merton Brown Estate and the Thelma Brown Trust, AFI.9.2001
Provenance examples
Provenance: Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), 1960, and retained until his death, 1991; by bequest to the Dedalus
Foundation, Inc., New York, 1991; purchased by the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 2001
Provenance examples
Provenance: Robert Motherwell (1915-1991), 1960, and retained until his death, 1991; by bequest to the Dedalus
Foundation, Inc., New York, 1991; purchased by the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art, Alabama, 2001

Exhibition History:
An Exhibition of Recent Paintings and Collages by Robert Motherwell. Sidney Janis Gallery, New York, April 10, 1961 -
May 6, 1961

Robert Motherwell Collages, 1958-1960. Galerie Berggruen, Paris, October 3, 1961 - October 28, 1961

Collaged di Motherwell. Galleria Odyssia, Rome, January 1962 - February 1962

Appel, Arp, Tal Coat…et al. Galerie Charles Lienhard, Zurich, December 1962 - January 1963

Collages by Robert Motherwell: A Loan Exhibition. The Phillips Collection, Washington, D.C., January 2, 1965 -
February 15, 1965

The Collages of Robert Motherwell: A Retrospective Exhibition. Organized by the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,
Texas. Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas, November 15, 1972 - January 14, 1973; Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio,
February 6, 1973 - February 25, 1973; Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, March 14, 1973 - April 22, 1973;
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Massachusetts, May 10, 1973 - June 24, 1973

Robert Motherwell. Galería Joan Prats, Barcelona, October 9, 1986 - November 15, 1986; Palau Solleric Centre
d’exposicions i documentació, Palma de Mallorca, Spain, November 20, 1986 - December 1986; Museo de Bellas Artes
de Bilbao, Spain, January 20, 1987 - March 1, 1987; Galería Juana Mordó, Madrid, March 12, 1987 - May 2, 1987.
Exhibited in reverse only in Madrid

Master Works at Mid-Century: New Motherwell Acquisitions. Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, June 22, 1999 -
September 12, 1999. Exhibited in reverse
Visual signs of
provenance

Sancai Wear Guardian Tomb Figure,

Tang Dynasty, China, 7th-9th century
Problems in provenance research

1. Staffing limitations
Problems in provenance research

1. Staffing limitations

2. Limited resources
Problems in provenance research

1. Staffing limitations

2. Limited resources

3. Dispersed information
Problems in provenance research

1. Staffing limitations 4. Lost documentation

2. Limited resources

3. Dispersed information
Problems in provenance research

1. Staffing limitations 4. Lost documentation

2. Limited resources 5. Forgeries

3. Dispersed information
REPATRIATION
Definition: The return of cultural property,
often referring to ancient or looted art, to
their country of origin or former owners (or
their heirs).
UNESCO 1970 Convention
UNESCO Database of National Heritage
Laws
RESTITUTION
Definition: The process by which cultural
objects are returned to an individual or a
community.
Holocaust Era Art Recovery Act (HEAR Act)
Einsatzstab Reichsleiter Rosenberg (ERR)
numbers
 Databases for Stolen and Lost Art

01 UNESCO Database of National 02 The Art Loss Register and The 03 INTERPOL Stolen Artworks
Heritage Laws and IFAR's Art Law Cultural Heritage At Risk Database Database and INTERPOL ID-Art
and Cultural Property Database App

04 Stolen (Lost) Cultural Relics 05 Looted Cultural Assets - Germany 06 Looted Art and Cultural Claims
Information Publishing Platform of Initiative - Germany
China
 Ethical 01
PERUVIAN FUNERARY CLOTH
2000 year old Paracus funerary cloth, purchased

Dilemmas: by NGA in 1974, Peru makes claim in 1989

Case ART OF THE PAST

Studies 02 Art dealer Subhash Kapoor, 35 years in business,

$100 million smuggling operation

GURLITT COLLECTION

03 1500 works, 700 with provenance gaps,

approximately 150 suspected of looting
Discussion Questions

Should provenance be considered “care of collections”? Why or why not?

What are some strategies that can help an institution balance moral or ethical obligations with
financial limitations?

What do you do if an object in your collection has no traceable provenance? What about an
object for purchase consideration?