Nazi Era Provenance Gaps

Tracing the journey of a work of art can be complex. Historical records are frequently lost or untraceable, making gaps in an object’s ownership history—its provenance—common. In alignment with the Association of Art Museum Directors’ standards for ethical stewardship, the Museum wishes to highlight certain works of art from its collection of European painting and sculpture for which it has incomplete ownership records between 1933 and 1945—a critical period when works may have been in continental Europe. By transparently sharing these histories, we endeavor to shed light on the Museum's ongoing proactive research to uncover information that will fill missing links in ownership histories. We invite you to explore these narratives with us and welcome any public collaboration that might help complete the stories of these artworks.

If you have provenance-related inquiries or information, please contact Curator of Provenance MaryKate Cleary.