Professional paper

PROVENANCE RESEARCH OF ARTWORKS IN MUSEUMS

Ivona Marić ; Muzejski dokumentacijski centar, Zagreb

Abstract

In recent times, international museum practice is increasingly marked by the study of and research into museum objects to throw light on the history of the changes of the ownership of them. Not only does this meet some legal and ethical requirements, but research into the origin of artworks contributes to the further development of art history, that is, to deepening knowledge concerning themes that are close to it but often not well enough known – the history of collecting and the art market. These themes are also deeply involved in useum practice, since some collections over the course of time can become museum materials, and the actual art market is one of the possible routes that some object might take before it becomes museum material. The greatest spur, however, to research the provenance of artworks in museums, i.e. the history of changes of ownership, is that the museum’s ownership of an object, if it is not capable of being legally proven with the required documentation, can be called into question. Museums are starting to face up to the consequences of Nazism and World War II, and are beginning to research into the undocumented material that was acquired in that period.

Keywords

Hrčak ID:

174239

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/174239

Publication date:

3.2.2015.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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