Barbara Wittmann

Professor Barbara Wittmann is a distinguished art historian at the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin), where she serves as Professor of Art History/Art Science/Art Theory since April 2018. Previously, she held professorial positions at Humboldt University of Berlin (2013-2016) and Goethe University Frankfurt am Main (2016-2018). Her academic journey includes research positions at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence.

Professor Wittmann's educational background includes:

• Art History studies in Vienna and Berlin
• PhD from Free University of Berlin (1999) with thesis on Édouard Manet's portrait work
• Habilitation from Bauhaus University Weimar (February 2014)

Her research focuses on 19th and 20th-century art, with special emphasis on the theory and practice of scientific drawing and the history of children's drawings. Professor Wittmann has pioneered interdisciplinary approaches examining how drawing functions as both artistic expression and research methodology across various disciplines. Her work bridges art history, media studies, and the history of science, with particular interest in how drawing mediates between observation and knowledge production.

Professor Wittmann's scholarly output demonstrates a consistent interest in temporality, artistic legacy, and the relationship between artistic production and historical context. Her recent work explores concepts of anachronism, belatedness, and anticipation in artistic works that challenge linear historical narratives. She examines how artists across different periods have engaged with historical consciousness through their work, particularly through the lens of drawing practices and visual representation.

Her notable awards and fellowships include:

• Scholarship from the Gerda Henkel Foundation
• Award from the IFK Vienna
• Postdoctoral fellowship at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florence (Max Planck Institute)

Professor Wittmann has supervised numerous students throughout her career and currently works with student employees Lucas Dudeck, Paula Rüschel, and Nele Napiwotzki. Her research has been supported by significant grants including Oxford-UdK Berlin Seedfunding for Creative Collaborations and funding from the Volkswagen Foundation for her project "Lifetime Legacy. The Complete Work as a Horizon of Artistic Production in the Modern and Contemporary Period."

She leads two major research initiatives: "Anticipation and Belatedness: Forms of Anachronism in Literature, Art and Music" (with Prof. Dr. Karen Leeder) and "Lifetime Legacy," examining how artists conceptualize their complete oeuvre during their lifetime. These projects involve international collaborations and have resulted in conferences at Oxford University and Berlin University of the Arts.