The Art Institute of Chicago has ramped up its commitment to provenance research, appointing Dr. Jacques Schuhmacher as the new Executive Director of Provenance Research. The institute, facing increased scrutiny over the rightful ownership of artifacts in its possession, has made this move to enhance the scholarship and transparency surrounding the origins of its vast collection.

Dr. Schuhmacher joins from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, as heralded by the Art Institute on the same day Schuhmacher will tackle a much-expanded role in Chicago compared to his previous solo gig at the V&A. He is stepping into a four-person team, tasked with examining the provenance of approximately 300,000 objects. This appointment meshes well with Schuhmacher's wealth of experience, including his history with several high-profile restitution cases, "We’ve certainly upped our game," Art Institute president and director James Rondeau conveyed to the Chicago Sun-Times, emphasizing the increased initiative in this domain.

Provenance research at the Art Institute isn’t a new pursuit by any means, but recent times have seen exponential growth in the public and legal expectation for transparency. Schuhmacher's appointment could be seen as a response to those expectations and, in some cases, a move to defend the ownership of contested pieces like the Schiele work embroiled in legal debate. Nevertheless, Rondeau has pushed back against such a simplistic take, stating, "We’ve always been doing this work. We’ve listened and understood the drive for greater transparency," as described in the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Art Institute has also pointed to its repatriation efforts as evidence of its commitment, including the proactive return of a 12th-century Thai temple fragment earlier this year. Schuhmacher himself has a substantial record in this arena, having played a vital role in the return of several items to their countries of origin. "I look forward to bringing my experience to the world-renowned Art Institute of Chicago," Schuhmacher stated in an announcement released by the Art Institute. His experience also includes serving on various UK sector working groups and as a researcher at the Commission for Looted Art in Europe.