Provenance was installed in the former home of the fine print and rare book collector Lessing J. Rosenwald whose collection is a cornerstone of the National Gallery of Art. The installation looks at the use of the collector’s mark as an early form of branding. Often in the form of a monogram, the mark is stamped on the back of a fine print to establish a record of ownership that could often span centuries. At times the value of a print was determined as much by the lineage of its collectors as by the print itself.

The marks that comprise the wall print are taken from the “Marques de Collections” and represent collectors living from 1600 to 1860. A reference book, it was compiled by the print collector Dr. Fritss Lugt in the mid 19th century. It includes thousands of marks, each accompanied by a short biography of the collectors it represents. (The book sits on a table between the two reading chairs for visitors to match the mark to the collector.)  

The collector’s marks are arranged in the shape of an iron cross, a form used in early Christianity, and in the Crusades 1095-1291 in particular. Printing in the 15th century gave rise to hundreds of thousands images. People from all stations of life could now own a picture. The wide distribution spread the gospel through the symbolism of the cross.