In this episode, Aubrey Catrone explains the importance of provenance, defining it as the history of ownership of an art object from its creation to the present day. She highlights the necessity of distinguishing between stated and verified provenance, emphasizing the need for supporting documentation.
Aubrey discusses challenges such as the rapid pace of art transactions and the importance of trusting sources in the art market. She advises collectors to proactively ask for documentation, conduct risk assessments, and digitize their records. New technologies like blockchain and AI are explored, with Aubrey noting their potential and limitations. She outlines the three-pronged process of verifying authenticity through scientific testing, provenance, and connoisseurship.
And the part we love most: Aubrey highlights the emotional and historical connection that provenance provides, enriching the collector's experience and deepening their connection to the artwork.
Aubrey Catrone is an international art historian, appraiser, and provenance researcher. Aubrey earned an MA in the History of Art from University College London, specializing in the documented histories of art objects. With an art gallery and academic research background, Catrone founded Proper Provenance, LLC to provide her clients with the tools, not only to historically contextualize art, but also to shed light on attribution and legal title within the international art market. She is an Accredited Member of the Appraisers Association of America with a specialization in Impressionist & Modern Art.
Catrone has researched artworks including paintings, artifacts, works on paper, prints, and sculptures spanning the fourth century B.C.E. to the twenty-first century C.E. She has appeared as a guest expert on the History Channel and published her scholarship in a variety of publications including RICS Journals and the Journal of Art Crime.
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