After studying art history and cultural theory at Humboldt University Berlin, Robert has held professor positions in Germany at the universities of Hamburg, Konstanz and Mainz and in Austria at Graz University.
His focus is on the early modern period and his main research interests are the history of collecting, the relationship between visual arts and natural sciences, printmaking and material culture.
He is currently working on his next monograph which will look at nature prints and related pictorial techniques – in the context of botany, colonial economies and industrial image production – from the early modern period to the 19th century.
2020 - today
Professor for Art History, University of Graz2018 – 2020
Visiting Professor for Art History, Universität Konstanz and Johann Gutenberg Universität Mainz2014 - 2018
Professor for European Art History of the 17/18th century, Universität Hamburg2013
Visiting Professor for Art History, Berlin University of the Arts2012 - 2013
Invited researcher at the KHI Florenz / Max-Planck-Institute for Art History, Florence2011
Habilitation in Art History, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin2000
PhD in Art History, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin1991 – 1997
Studies in Art History and Cultural Studies, Greifswald and Berlin