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 Research related to the preparation of this webpage has been made possible through the generosity of the Max Stern Foundation. Provenance research on European Paintings (1933-1945) Provenance Research Statement Part of the regular work of the Norton Museum of Art (NMA) is provenance research. The goal of provenance research is to trace the whereabouts of a work of art from the time of its creation to the present day. This research can be very complex, presenting multiple challenges to researchers, who are faced with issues including language, changes in attribution and title, physical alteration, the transitory nature or absence of records, ambiguities of family and corporate histories, societal and political upheaval, natural disaster, and, quite simply, the passage of time. In provenance research, gaps are common; these gaps become particularly problematic when concurrent with troubling historical and social circumstances. Recently, and in light of concern that some works of art now in public collections may have been looted, or otherwise improperly acquired without restitution having been made, the NMA has paid particular attention to the whereabouts of its artworks during the period 1933–1945. These years correspond to the period of the rise to power of the Nazi party in Germany until its fall at the end of World War II. This research is in accordance with the Report of the AAMD Task Force on the Spoliation of Art during the Nazi/World Ward II Era (1933–1945), issued by the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) in June 1998; Guidelines Concerning the Unlawful Appropriation of Objects during the Nazi Era, adopted by the American Association of Museums (AAM) in November 1999; Plunder and Restitution: The U.S. and Holocaust Victims' Assets—Findings and Recommendations of the Presidential Advisory Commission on Holocaust Assets in the United States and Staff Report (PCHA) issued in January 2001, and amendments by both AAMD and AAM in April and May 2001, respectively. Since these reports, there has been heightened awareness of the impact of Nazi Germany on the cultural heritage of Europe. From the time the Nazi regime came into power in 1933 through the end of the war in 1945, they systematically looted works of art and other cultural property in Europe on a massive scale. Millions of objects were unethically or unlawfully acquired—often by theft, force, or coercion—from their rightful owners, who included private citizens, victims of the Holocaust, public and private museums and galleries, and religious, educational, and other institutions. Such events as the fall of the Soviet Union and the re-unification of Germany in the early 1990s have made available for the first time significant new information on the Nazi/WWII era; the Internet has made this information accessible in an unprecedented manner. It has been agreed by AAM, AAMD, and PCHA that the initial focus of provenance research and online postings should be Judaica and European paintings. NMA has no Judaica in its collection while approximately 110 European paintings meet the criteria of "covered" objects. The AAM Recommended Procedures for Providing Information to the Public about Objects Transferred in Europe during the Nazi Era (May 2001) defines a covered object as one that was
The following Provenance Research List, which will be updated (whether reduced or expanded) as research continues, presents covered objects in the NMA collection. Inclusion on the list does not indicate and should not be construed to suggest that a painting was either looted or legally transferred. To date, the Museum has found no evidence that any of its European paintings was ever looted or improperly acquired. Whom to Contact with Information or Questions Address inquiries via email or in writing to: Provenance Research Norton Museum of Art 1451 S. Olive Ave. West Palm Beach, FL 33401-7162 Related Publications
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The Norton Museum
of Art is a major cultural attraction in Florida.
The Museum is internationally known for its distinguished permanent
collection featuring
19th and 20th Century European and American art, Chinese, contemporary art and photography.
From its founding the Norton has been famous for its masterpieces
of 19th century and 20th Century painting
and sculpture by European artists such as Brancusi, Gauguin, Matisse,
Miró, Monet, Picasso
and by Americans such as Davis, Hassam, Hopper, Manship, O'Keeffe,
Pollock and Sheeler.
View special exhibitions and attend lectures and exhibition programs
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