Chapter 4 "For Your Consideration"

Provenance is the records that document an artworks ownership beginning with its creation date (pg. 20). During World War II many artworks were confiscated or looted and illegally sold to suspecting or unsuspecting buyers. This is still an issue today where there are still disputes over the rightful owners of artwork. These artworks are precious to the real owners and very valuable to someone who is trying to sell it illegally. This is why the provenance process is a very complicated and in-depth process to determine the true owners of the artworks. This shift has taken place to make sure that the artwork is credited to the proper artist. The conservators of these works do in-depth research on a piece of artwork by using high powered microscopes, different ultraviolet lights, and taking samples from the painting to determine the age and material used. Determining the proper artist for a piece of work is important because knowing the true artist can make a painting’s physical and societal value increase.