5 articles tagged with "provenance"
"The Parthenon Marbles have not budged from the literal and figurative centre of the British Museum in London since they were purchased from Lord Elgin in 1816." With new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham backing their return, and Germany returning the Benin Bronzes in 2022, should museums return what colonialism took?
Wolfgang Beltracchi faked "between 1000 and 1300" paintings, the forger of the century. Han van Meegeren sold a fake Vermeer to Hermann Göring for the equivalent of $7 million. Tom Keating claimed 2,000 fakes. John Myatt's forgeries fooled every major auction house. Here are the most famous fakes and how they were caught.
"A standard property policy is not designed to protect fine art." AXA XL has been insuring art for over 60 years and became a Global Lead Partner of TEFAF in 2025. Coverage includes all risks of physical loss or damage, compensation for depreciation, and worldwide protection. Here is what art insurance covers.
"Auction houses do not value art in the abstract. They value what they believe they can defend in a live market." In November 2025, Sotheby's New York totaled $1.17 billion. A Klimt portrait sold for $236.4 million, the second-highest auction price ever. Here is how auction houses value art.
Learn what provenance means in art, why it affects value and authenticity, and why the ownership history of artworks raises serious ethical questions from Nazi looting to colonial acquisition. A clear guide for collectors, gallery visitors, and anyone who cares where art comes from.