Tristan Weddigen

Prof. Dr. Tristan Weddigen is a Professor of Early Modern Art at the University of Zurich (since 2009) and Director of the Bibliotheca Hertziana - Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome (since 2017). His research focuses on Renaissance and Baroque art, with a particular emphasis on methodology, global reception history, and material culture. He holds a dual role bridging academic leadership and curatorial scholarship.

Weddigen’s work critically examines art historiography, notably through his editions of Heinrich Wölfflin’s texts and studies on Latin American adaptations of European art theories. His projects integrate digital humanities, exemplified by initiatives at the Bibliotheca Hertziana. Key themes include textile studies, colonial art, and intersections between art and science. He has published extensively on topics ranging from Italian Renaissance aesthetics to contemporary art’s engagement with space exploration.

His scholarly contributions address methodological debates in art history, including the global reception of Wölfflin’s principles and interdisciplinary approaches to materiality. Weddigen’s research also explores early modern princely collections and the socio-political dimensions of art display, reflecting his expertise in both European and transnational contexts.