Johannes Grave

Johannes Grave is Professor of Early Modern Art History at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (since 2019), having previously held professorships at Bielefeld University (2012-2019) and deputy directorship at the Centre allemand d'histoire de l'art in Paris (2009-2012). He earned his PhD from the University of Jena with a dissertation on Goethe's print collection.

His research explores art theory, European Romanticism, and historical image studies, with emphasis on:

• Temporality in visual perception
• Comparative practices in art analysis
• German/French/Italian painting traditions
• The intersection of aesthetics and social imagination

His publications demonstrate consistent focus on Romantic landscapes (especially Caspar David Friedrich), Renaissance aesthetics, and redefinitions of the sublime. Recent works critically engage with art historiography, copyright debates, and exhibition politics.

Notable scientific recognition includes:

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (2020)
• Hans Janssen Prize for European Art History (2012)
• Fellowships at DFG research groups in Berlin, Bielefeld, and Greifswald

He leads doctoral projects on Romantic art, image comparison, and museology, supervising 18+ PhD candidates. As speaker for the cluster initiative Imaginamics and CRC 1288 'Practices of Comparing', he coordinates interdisciplinary teams exploring social imagination dynamics.