Pictures often tell stories. But pictures also have a story themselves when they have passed through many hands on their way into a museum. The author, who supports his views with the results of relevant provenance research, goes on a search for traces of these descriptions of the lives of artworks from the Wallraf-Richartz Museum in Cologne: the city of Cologne thus had to litigate against the daughter of Hermann Göring for nineteen years in connection with a painting by Cranach; a high price had to be paid for the acquisition of another painting because it was not wanted as a gift; and a courageous museum director made his acquisitions of art despite great resistance. In this book for all museum visitors and readers who would like to learn more about the exhibits, the stories behind the pictures come to life.

Rainer Pabst, Work Group of the Wallraf-Richartz Museum and the Museum Ludwig in Cologne.