Provenance

Provenance
Season	1
Episode	19
Overall	19
Series	Supernatural
Airdate	April 13, 2006
Written by	David Ehrman
Directed by	Phil Sgriccia
Guests	Taylor Cole as Sarah Blake
Episode list	Season 1
← Previous	Something Wicked
Next →	Dead Man's Blood

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Summary

A portrait of a long-dead family has the spirits of the father and daughter trapped inside and someone is murdering its owners.

Synopsis

The boys arrive in upstate New York, where Mark and Anne Telesca were found dead in a locked house, the latest in a series of murders over a number of decades in the same area according to research from John’s journal.

They visit the Telesca home, but there are no signs of any supernatural activity. All the furnishings have been taken to an auction house, so they decide to check it out, in case a spirit has itself attached to an object.

They turn up at the auction house, where the owner Daniel Blake tries to get them to leave. They speak to his daughter, Sarah Blake, who also works at the auction house and who confirms that the Telesca estate is being auctioned. Before she can tell them anymore, her father, having discovered Sam and Dean are not on the guest list, asks the boys to leave.

Dean thinks Sarah showed some interest in Sam, and suggests he take her on date in order to get more information. Over dinner, Sarah reveals she hasn’t been on a date since her mother died unexpectedly a year ago.

Sarah gets Sam copies of the provenances of the items of the Telesca house. Dean finds that a portrait of Isaiah Merchant’s family painted in 1910 was also owned by the other families that had been killed.

After dark, Sam and Dean return to the auction house and burn the painting. The next day, Dean pretends that he has dropped his wallet at the auction house, purely so Sam can see Sarah again. When they get there they are shocked to find the painting is still there and unharmed.

At the local library, they find out that Isaiah Merchant was accused of killing his wife, two sons, and adopted daughter.

Back at the motel Sam notices that in a picture of the painting in an old book, Isaiah is staring straight ahead, and in the painting now, he is looking down to the right. Dean also encourages Sam to pursue Sarah, but Sam is reluctant. He calls Sarah to see if they can view the painting again, only to find it has been sold to a friend of Sarah’s named Evelyn.

The boys rush to the house just as Sarah arrives, but they find Evelyn already dead, her throat slashed.

After alerting the police, Sarah and the boys return to the motel room, where they explain to her that the picture is haunted. Despite being scared, Sarah resolves to help them. Back at Evelyn’s house they examine the painting and notice more features in the painting have changed, amongst other things there is now a mausoleum in the picture with the name Merchant on it. They track down the mausoleum, where all of the family cremated remains are housed, however Isaiah Merchant is not interred there. Dean finds that Isaiah was buried in a pauper’s grave and goes to salt and burn the corpse.

Later, the three of them return to burn the painting as a precaution, but Sam and Sarah get trapped inside Evelyn’s house and attacked by the spirit of Melanie Merchant, who had been responsible for the murders all along. Dean returns to the mausoleum and burns an antique doll which bears some of Melanie Merchant’s hair. This finally dispels her spirit.

Back at the auction house, Sarah orders the painting burned and says farewell to Sam and Dean. As they are about to leave, Sam returns and kisses Sarah goodbye.

Characters

• Dean Winchester
• Sam Winchester
• Sarah Blake
• Daniel Blake
• Melanie Merchant

Featured Supernatural Being

• Ghost

Featured Music

"Night Time" by Steve Carlson

"Bad Time (To Be In Love)" by Grand Funk Railroad

"Romantic Piece, No. 1" by Extreme

"One More Once" by Black Toast Music

Quotes

Sam:' 'I don't understand, Dean. I mean, we burned the damn thing.

Dean: Yeah, thank you, Captain Obvious.

Sarah: Look. I'm not saying I'm not scared, because I am scared as hell, but I'm not just gonna go run and hide either. (Before leaving, turns back to the bros.) So are you guys coming or what?

Dean: (Looking at Sarah) Sam. (Turns to Sam) Marry that girl.

(As Sam picks the lock on Evelyn's door)

Sarah: Isn't this a crime scene?

Dean: Well, you've already lied to the cops. What's another infraction or two?

Sam: "What kind of a house doesn't have salt? Low sodium freaks!"

Dean: Sam, you good?

Sam: (Looks at Sarah) Not bad.

Dean: I'll see you Sarah. (Smiles, then walks away) I burned the doll, destroyed the spirit. Don't thank me or anything!

Dean: (Sees Sam kissing Sarah goodbye) That's my boy.

International Titles

• Finnish: Kirottu kuva (The Cursed Picture)

• French: Le Tableau hanté (The Haunted Painting)

• German: Das Gemälde (The Painting)
• Italian: Il Quadro Maledetto (The Cursed Painting)
• Polish: Pochodzenie (Provenance)

External links

• "Supernatural: "Provenance" Review", IGN review.