Art works tell stories – not just through their subject matter, but though their lives as objects. Who owned them? Who saw them? Where did they go? And how did they end up in our museums?

This interactive website tells new stories about old master European artworks through the lens of provenance. It focuses specifically on owners with strong colonial ties.

What can the stories of artworks tell us about histories of colonialism and enslavement?

Click on an artwork to see its story