Provenance (from the French provenir, "to come from"), is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was once primarily used in relation to works of art, but is now used in similar sense in other fields such as archaeology, paleontology, science and computing.

The primary purpose of tracing the provenance of a painting is to provide evidence of its origin by establishing, as far as possible, its history via the sequences of its ownership, custody and places of storage. Provenance research attempts to produce a complete list of owners from the present time backwards to when the painting left the artist's studio. Provenance should also list when the painting has been part of an exhibition and a bibliography of when it has been discussed or illustrated in print. Auction records are an important resource to assist in researching the provenance of paintings. Modern paintings may present exhibition marks, dealer stamps, gallery labels and other indications of previous ownership on their back side. However these can be forged or accidentally destroyed.

Establishing provenance may help authenticate artworks but it may also be important to record the physical details of the painting style, subject, signature, materials, dimensions and frame. Such information sometimes helps to shed light on the historical, social, and economic context in which a work of art was created and collected, as well as on the history of taste.

Establishing an unbroken line of provenance of older paintings is rarely achieved. Few records survive from the more distant past, and records can sometimes be questioned. The titles of paintings and the attribution to a particular artist frequently change over time. In these cases, the size of the work and its description can be used to identify earlier references to the painting. Records of sale frequently do not survive. Many private collectors buy and sell works anonymously through third parties, such as dealers or auction houses, which may or may not disclose the owner's identity. From a commercial point of view, a painting with good provenance is worth more than one without, because it is less likely to be a forgery or by the work of an imitator. However, provenance is not sufficient in itself to establish the authenticity of a painting, especially if it is considered of value.

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