OFFENE FRAGEN. Kunstwerke – Erwerbungen – Schicksale

This volume takes stock of five years of provenance research at Kunstmuseum Basel. Eleven essays, the result of intense research in archives in Switzerland and abroad, present selected paintings, sculptures and works on paper from the museum’s holdings. The paths taken by the artworks also reveal the fates of the Jewish families to whom they once belonged. Switzerland comes into focus as a country of exile and transit for those fleeing National Socialism. This book strikes a balance between case studies, institutional history, and paying tribute to the former owners. The transparent presentation of research processes opens a discourse on why this research is being conducted and what follows from it. Despite the immense scholarly endeavour and new findings, open questions remain, inviting critical reflection on the complex case studies. Comprehensive reappraisal of the previous Jewish owners’ fates based on in-depth scientific research Selected case studies: Albrecht Altdorfer, Carl Blechen, Carl Gustav Carus, Gustave Courbet, Eugène Delacroix, Käthe Kollwitz, Wilhelm Lehmbruck, Max Liebermann, Aristide Maillol, Hans von Marées, Adolph von Menzel, Otto Meyer-Amden, Henri Rousseau, and Camille Pissarro Starting points of current research Assuming historical responsibility for the collection history of a museum institution