Anton Heinrich Springer

Anton Springer ( born July 13, 1825 Prague, † May 31 1891 in Leipzig; Complete name: Anton Heinrich Springer ) is one of Germany's leading art historians of the 19th century.

Life

Anton Springer studied in Prague philosophy and history, received his doctorate there too, but devoted himself by study tours that took him to Italy and Germany, a little later to Belgium, France and England, since 1846 the history of art. In Tübingen in 1847, he wrote a second dissertation on Hegel's conception of history. In between, he was also politically active and initiated a press campaign against the ban on theatrical performances in Tübingen. In 1848, he stopped at the University of Prague lectures on the "History of the revolutionary age ", but had to leave because of his radical political views of Prague. After that Springer was from 1852 to 1872 first lecturer, since 1860 professor of art history at the University of Bonn.

After a brief teaching career in Strasbourg he occupied in 1873 as a full professor of History of Medieval and Modern Art the newly established Chair of Art History at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Leipzig.

Work

Springer was one of the first who conceived the history of art as a strictly scientific subject, which is why he also criticized his time widespread literary- romantic approach to art as practiced Herman Grimm, or the unreflective art historical outpourings of Heinrich Knackfuß sharp. He wrote numerous treatises on Western art, such as a guide to the architecture of the Christian Middle Ages (1854 ), a handbook of art history ( 1855), a history of the visual arts in the 19th century (1858 ), published iconographic studies (1860 ) and a treatise to the visual arts of the present ( 1875) and has written books on Raphael and Michelangelo ( 1878). Posthumously published a book on Albrecht Dürer ( 1892).