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Whether attributed to an ancient Chinese proverb, Napoleon or Fred Barnard, the quote,"a picture is worth a thousand words",would even have more significance if we could establish provenance. In other words, if we had proof who actually said it, or where it originated, it is provenance that separates urban legend from fact.
There is no single term, especially when it comes to collecting masterworks and fine art, that is more overused and less understood than provenance; however, there is none that is more important than provenance when discussing the authenticity and documentation of fine art and masterworks.
To begin with, its root is from French word, provenir which literally means, "place of origin" or "to come from"; however, in fine art it pertains to the "lineage of ownership" back to the artist. If authorship of a masterwork can be historically traced back to original artist, this documentation is worth its weight in words.
Provenance can establish the ownership of a work of art that was wrongfully seized, for example, in the case of Gustav Klimt's painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.
It also addresses the establishment of a work of art to a particular artist and not only to a particular owner or collector. One example such proof of authorship is the provenance of Titian's Diana and Actaeon which was painted for Spain's King Phillip II in 1550. For over half-millennium its ownership has been documented.
There are several ways to establish provenance. Some are more obvious than others, but the end result is all the same: establishing a history of ownership with the original owner being the artist.
One way of establishing provenance, yet often overlooked, are past bills of sale. We sometimes neglect the most obvious, maybe because they are so self-evident. However, every artist that sells a finished work of art sells it to a patron, a client, or an art dealer.
Now certainly this is much easier to deal with when dealing with a living, breathing artist versus an artist that has long since been gone. In other words, it is probably easier to find a bill of sale from Mr. Smith, painter-at-large than it is to find one from an old master like Albrecht Durer who graced the world stage five hundred years ago.
Another way to establish provenance are collectors' stamps. These unique brands of ownership are usually found on the verso of prints or canvasses. They can be monograms, or symbols or any combination of identifying marks that collectors used to mark what they have owned.
The third, and less obvious are references to the piece of art in letters, photographs and even past catalogues of auction houses.
Let's face it. Fine art and masterworks are worth more if its history of ownership is documented. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but provenance makes the words almost as valuable as the picture itself.
There is no single term, especially when it comes to collecting masterworks and fine art, that is more overused and less understood than provenance; however, there is none that is more important than provenance when discussing the authenticity and documentation of fine art and masterworks.
To begin with, its root is from French word, provenir which literally means, "place of origin" or "to come from"; however, in fine art it pertains to the "lineage of ownership" back to the artist. If authorship of a masterwork can be historically traced back to original artist, this documentation is worth its weight in words.
Provenance can establish the ownership of a work of art that was wrongfully seized, for example, in the case of Gustav Klimt's painting, Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer.
It also addresses the establishment of a work of art to a particular artist and not only to a particular owner or collector. One example such proof of authorship is the provenance of Titian's Diana and Actaeon which was painted for Spain's King Phillip II in 1550. For over half-millennium its ownership has been documented.
There are several ways to establish provenance. Some are more obvious than others, but the end result is all the same: establishing a history of ownership with the original owner being the artist.
One way of establishing provenance, yet often overlooked, are past bills of sale. We sometimes neglect the most obvious, maybe because they are so self-evident. However, every artist that sells a finished work of art sells it to a patron, a client, or an art dealer.
Now certainly this is much easier to deal with when dealing with a living, breathing artist versus an artist that has long since been gone. In other words, it is probably easier to find a bill of sale from Mr. Smith, painter-at-large than it is to find one from an old master like Albrecht Durer who graced the world stage five hundred years ago.
Another way to establish provenance are collectors' stamps. These unique brands of ownership are usually found on the verso of prints or canvasses. They can be monograms, or symbols or any combination of identifying marks that collectors used to mark what they have owned.
The third, and less obvious are references to the piece of art in letters, photographs and even past catalogues of auction houses.
Let's face it. Fine art and masterworks are worth more if its history of ownership is documented. A picture might be worth a thousand words, but provenance makes the words almost as valuable as the picture itself.
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