WHAT IS THE PROVENANCE FOR ART
A key factor for the collector, not to be underestimated…
Provenance is a fundamental procedure for verifying the transfer of ownership of a work of art, carried out by professionals through an accurate historical and documentary investigation, which can sometimes last for a long time if based on few data.
Research into provenance is often meticulous and not at all simple, and not all works have a detectable provenance.
A work with a clear and traceable history of origin is one that brings with it a complete set of documents capable of bearing witness to the entire history it comprises:
- Changes in ownership of the artwork
- The presence of the Certificate of Authenticity
- Possible presence at auction over time
- The movement of the work
- The loans, evidenced by various specific documents such as the loan agreement, the letter of loan or the loan form
- The exhibitions in which the work has taken part
But why is Provenance so important for a work of art?
AUTHENTICITY: verifying the provenance of a work of art for the purposes of its authenticity is one of the first motivations and is part of a research step; moreover, it is not rare that those who falsify works of art also falsify their complete documentation.
ASSESSMENT: reconstructing a complete history of provenance is one of the factors affecting the evaluation of a work of art; in fact, the absence of a well-documented provenance can create doubts about the attribution or authenticity of a work of art.
OWNERSHIP: There is an increasing need to establish the provenance of a work with the aim of validating and guaranteeing ownership when it is challenged in lawsuits, so well-documented transaction documents and transfers of ownership can help determine the legitimacy of a sale or provide a defence in repatriation and restitution claims.
Today for the creation of works of contemporary art the research by experts can be relatively easier, if the collector from the creation of his collection chooses to entrust its management to tools and solutions for the tracking of the art historian.
These include Art Rights, the first platform for the management and certification of works of art using Blockchain technology and Artificial Intelligence.
A professional tool to trace the history of a work of art, changes of ownership and all the crucial information to enhance an art collection, always to protect the privacy and security of the various users.
This is why knowing the provenance and history of a work of art protects the collector, as well as market operators, from a series of risks and future problems when buying a work of art.
Find out which professionals in the Art Concierge section of Art Rights can help you get to know the Provenance of a work of art.
