Ruth Wolff

Dr. Ruth Wolff is a Researcher and Associate Scholar at the Kunsthistorisches Institut in Florenz (Max Planck Institute). She holds a PhD from 1992 on St. Francis in 13th-century writings and images. Her career includes roles as a research associate at Philipps University Marburg (2000–2003) and Humboldt University Berlin (2011–2014), leading projects on medieval art and legal history. Since 2024, she heads the DFG-funded project analyzing 14th–15th century Florentine court documents' visual elements, focusing on authenticity, style, and originality in notarial art. She has also worked as a freelance art history translator and collaborator with the institute since 2018.

• Education: Art History, Philosophy, and German Literature from Erlangen and Munich Universities
• Key Projects: "Insculpta imago" (2011–2014), "Authenticity, Style, and Originality in Florentine Court Books" (2024–present)

Her research bridges art, law, and visual culture, exploring medieval and early modern iconography, seals, and the interplay between text and image in historical documents. She contributes to the institute's global art history research and collaborates with institutions like the Stuttgart Research Centre for Text Studies.