How solid is an art provenance text? Analysis of a Degas sculpture at the NGA

"Probably", "possibly", "apparently", "proposes" and "allegedly" in texts for Degas' Dancer Adjusting the Shoulder Strap of Her Bodice, original wax 1880s/1890s, cast 1920/1949 at the NGA

Walter Hugelshofer in provenances (update ongoing)

 In this post, we begin to gather information about Walter Hugelshofer, a Swiss art historian.

(above: Saint Florian at the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, 

1. Hugelshofer mentioned in relation to selected artworks in US museums

2. Hugelshofer mentioned in relation to auctions

3. Hugelshofer mentioned in the Kleinberger archives

4. Hugelshofer mentioned in association with Julius Böhler archives

Forgery and false provenances

False provenances are needed to insert art forgeries into the historical record.

Where there is forgery there is false provenance.

Dealers who sell forgeries are great sources of false provenances. A special kind of writing is involved in the creation of false provenances. A talent for making things that are not true seem at least plausible. 

Question: Do dealers of forgeries also sell looted art?

Some, like Knoedler, are known to have sold both at one time or another. Knoedler's prestige and power enables it to insert lies into the historical record without being challenged for a very long time. 

What about the others? How to find out?

Pinakos, Heinemann, de Hauke in GPI Public Collections

The Getty Provenance Index maintains a database of artworks from public collections, some of which have provenances.

Additional Databases PUBLIC COLLECTION

Otto Wertheimer Galerie Les Tourettes

Otto Wertheimer was an art dealer who owned Galerie Les Tourettes.

(photo: Hercules and the Lion, Boston Museum of Fine Arts)

The (always informative) RKD says Otto Wertheimer was born about 1878 in Germany and died in 1972 or 73 in Paris. It lists 41 artworks (see below) that belonged to Wertheimer.