Franz Wickhoff facts for kids

Portrait of Wickhoff.

Franz Wickhoff (born May 7, 1853 – died April 6, 1909) was an important Austrian art historian. He was part of a famous group called the Vienna School of Art History. This group helped change how people studied and understood art.

Early Life and Studies

Franz Wickhoff was born in Steyr, Austria, on May 7, 1853. He went to the University of Vienna. There, he studied with well-known teachers like Alexander Conze and Moritz Thausing.

Career and Important Work

In 1879, Wickhoff started working at a museum in Vienna. It was called the Imperial-Royal Austrian Museum for Art and Industry. Today, it is known as the Museum für angewandte Kunst. At the museum, he met Giovanni Morelli. Morelli taught him about "connoisseurship." This is a skill where you learn to identify who made a piece of art just by looking at its style.

In 1882, Wickhoff began teaching at the University of Vienna. He shared his knowledge with many students.

Die Wiener Genesis

In 1895, Wickhoff published his most important book. It was called Die Wiener Genesis. This book looked at how Roman art changed over time. He studied art from the time of Augustus to Constantine I.

Before Wickhoff, many art experts thought Roman art was not as good as Greek art. They especially thought art from "late antiquity" (the later Roman period) was not very good. This idea came from an older expert named Johann Joachim Winckelmann.

Wickhoff's book helped people see things differently. He showed that "high imperial" Roman art and "late antique" art were also very valuable. His work was very important for another art historian, Alois Riegl. Riegl was younger and also worked at the museum. He continued Wickhoff's ideas about appreciating late antique art.

Wickhoff's ideas also led to some debates. He and Riegl had different views from another expert, Josef Strzygowski. They disagreed about where the style of late antique art truly came from.

Death and Lasting Impact

Franz Wickhoff passed away in Venice on April 6, 1909. He is buried on Isola di San Michele in Venice.

Wickhoff taught many students who became famous art historians themselves. Some of his notable students included Max Dvořák, Walter Friedländer, Wilhelm Koehler, Erica Tietze-Conrat, Hans Tietze, and Gustav Glück. His teaching and ideas greatly influenced the next generation of art historians in Vienna.