Gallery Conversation: Provenance Research at the Art Institute

Every object in our collection has its own unique story to tell. By tracing an artwork’s past ownership (its “provenance”), we can deepen our understanding of the work itself, the people who valued it, and the societies it inhabited. Join Jacques Schuhmacher, executive director of provenance research, to learn all about the Art Institute’s groundbreaking research in this vital and fascinating field.

About the Speaker

Jacques Schuhmacher, executive director of provenance research, leads the Art Institute’s provenance research team, which investigates the history of objects across our collection. Jacques joined the Art Institute in 2024 from the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in London, where he served as the senior provenance research curator. He has published widely on provenance matters and cofounded an international working group to share information between museums in the United States and Europe. Schuhmacher studied modern history at Humboldt University of Berlin and Somerville College, Oxford. He holds a doctorate in history from the University of Oxford, where he was codirector of the War Crimes Research Network.