The collection of essays Provenance Research and the Art Trade, edited by Peter Wehrle and realized by the auction house Ketterer Kunst Munich/Hamburg, is dedicated to the question of how the auction trade conducts provenance research. What happens there, what is the subject of the research, with what purpose and with what results? Until now, only insiders have had detailed knowledge of these aspects; the art trade is rather reticent here and research results are rarely published. What is being done behind the scenes, so to speak, is usually hardly recognizable to third parties. A few years ago, Ketterer Kunst set up its own department for this purpose, which has also established itself internationally as very competent. The auction house sees it as its duty to reconstruct the history of so-called ‚encumbered‘ works of art in particular, with the aim of returning them to the market in agreement with their former owners. Potential buyers also have a vital interest in this. Last but not least, art history also benefits from these results.
The German based publisher ERNEST RATHENAU VERLAG announcement states:
This is the first publication of an ‘inside view’ from the provenance research department at a major German auction house, with the aim of making research into previously unknown Jewish collections and dealers accessible to an academic community. At the same time, this publication also wants to demonstrate how provenance research is or can be carried out in the auction trade. Renowned guest authors from research institutions, museums, the international restitution system, private archives and the art trade provide a framework and superstructure for the specific case studies. The articles address the often uneasy relationship between the art trade and the academic world. However, they also illustrate the opportunities that a close exchange in the field of provenance research can and should offer. Thus, 25 years after the adoption of the Washington Principles, which provided guidelines for public handling of Nazi plunder, but by no means for the private and commercial sector, this publication is also an appeal: for transparency, for cooperation, and for a common goal.