Collecting Clues

This volume contains an analysis of an art collection from the seventeenth century, whose erstwhile owner and location are both unknown. All that survives of the collection is its anonymous inventory, but the descriptions within it allow us to deduce that the works were of exceptionally high quality. Reading through the text, one cannot help but wonder: are these works originals or copies? How reliable are the attributions? Can the works be identified from the information provided? And who could have owned all of this?


My research reveals a complex network of contacts stretching from Berlin to Amsterdam, involving some of the most prominent art collectors in Europe; it outlines a collection of paintings that was built up in Vienna and probably sold in Prague; and it shines new light on the provenance of some extraordinarily important artworks (including an antique imperial cameo, and works by artists such as Christoph Paudiss, Bartholomäus Spranger, Hans Baidung Grien, etc.).


The detective work is by no means over. A substantial number of the paintings still remain unidentified, as does the owner.The source text, published at the end of the volume, features many items that still await investigation, any one of which has the potential to lead us to the identity of the collector. It is my hope that this turns out to be a benefit rather than a drawback, so that the book will not only be read, but will also give the reader food for thought.