H. W. Janson

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Horst Woldemar Janson (October 4, 1913 – September 30, 1982) was a Russian-born German-American art historian best known for his History of Art, first published in 1962. The book became a widely used and influential textbook, selling millions of copies in many languages. Janson’s specialty was Renaissance sculpture, especially Donatello.

Early life and education
Janson was born in St. Petersburg to a Baltic German Lutheran family. After the Russian Revolution, his family moved first to Finland and then to Hamburg, Germany. He finished school at Wilhelms Gymnasium in 1932 and studied at the University of Munich and the University of Hamburg, where he studied with Erwin Panofsky.

Move to the United States and teaching career
In 1935, Panofsky helped him move to the United States, and Janson earned his PhD at Harvard in 1942, writing on Michelozzo. He taught at the Worcester Art Museum (1936–38) and the University of Iowa (1938–41). He married Dora Jane Heineberg in 1941, and became a U.S. citizen in 1943.

From 1941 to 1948, Janson taught at the St. Louis School of Fine Arts at Washington University, where he helped renew the university’s art gallery collection. In 1948 he moved to New York University, where he helped develop the undergraduate arts program and taught in the graduate Institute of Fine Arts. He received a Guggenheim Fellowship that year and later earned an honorary degree in 1981.

Writings and influence
Janson wrote on Renaissance art and 19th-century sculpture, and authored notable works such as Apes and Ape Lore in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance (1952) and Sculpture of Donatello (1957). He also contributed to the Time–Life Library of Art and served as president of the College Art Association and as editor of the Art Bulletin. He was a founding member and president of the Renaissance Society of America and wrote many books for young readers, some with his wife.

History of Art
His most enduring achievement is History of Art, a comprehensive survey first published in 1962 that became a standard text in many classrooms. Over time, it drew critique from some scholars who argued that it did not adequately include women artists. In response, later editions—updated by his son, Anthony F. Janson—incorporated more works by women artists.

Later life and legacy
Janson remained active in the field, contributing to discussions on East–West dialogue in the arts. He died in 1982 on a train between Zurich and Milan, at the age of 68. His History of Art and his other writings helped shape art history education for generations of students.