When and where was Erwin Panofsky born?
Erwin Panofsky was born on the 30th of March 1892 in Hanover. His parents were Arnold and Caecilie (Solling) Panofsky, a rentier mining family from Upper Silesia.
Questions about Erwin Panofsky
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why did Erwin Panofsky leave Germany for the United States?
Erwin Panofsky left Germany because Adolf Hitler appointed Chancellor shortly after his arrival in New York in 1933. The Nazis terminated his appointment at Hamburg due to his Jewish background, forcing him to seek employment abroad.
What are the three levels of understanding art defined by Erwin Panofsky?
Erwin Panofsky defined three levels of art-historical understanding in his 1939 book Studies in Iconology. These levels include primary natural subject matter, secondary conventional subject matter, and personal technical and cultural history.
How did Erwin Panofsky interpret Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait?
Erwin Panofsky interpreted Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait as both a wedding ceremony and a visual contract testifying to the act of marriage. He identified hidden symbols within the painting that pointed to the sacrament of marriage.
Who were the sons of Erwin Panofsky and what were their professions?
Erwin Panofsky had two sons who became renowned physicists. His younger son Wolfgang K. H. Panofsky specialized in particle accelerators, while his elder son Hans A. Panofsky taught meteorology at Pennsylvania State University for thirty years.