Ernst Kühnel
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Ernst Kühnel (1882−1964) was a German
art historian Art history is the study of artistic works made throughout human history. Among other topics, it studies art’s formal qualities, its impact on societies and cultures, and how artistic styles have changed throughout history. Traditionally, the ...
who specialized in
Islamic art Islamic art is a part of Islamic culture and encompasses the visual arts produced since the 7th century CE by people who lived within territories inhabited or ruled by Muslims, Muslim populations. Referring to characteristic traditions across ...
. He was notable for his research on the connection between Islamic and
Coptic art Coptic art is the Christianity, Christian art of the Byzantine empire, Byzantine-Roman Egypt, Greco-Roman Egypt and of Coptic Orthodox Church, Coptic Christian Churches. Coptic art is best known for its wall-paintings, textiles, illuminated ma ...
, particularly in textiles. Kühnel served as director of the Museum of Islamic Art (part of the
Berlin State Museums The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin (Berlin State Museums) are a group of institutions in Berlin, Germany, comprising seventeen museums in five clusters; several research institutes; libraries; and supporting facilities. They are overseen by the ...
) from 1931 to 1951, and was a professor at the
University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...
from 1935 to 1954. He was also a consultant for the
Textile Museum A textile museum is a museum with exhibits relating to the history and art of textiles, including: * Textile industries and manufacturing, often located in former factories or buildings involved in the design and production of yarn, cloth, and cl ...
in
Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...
, and president of
Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft The Deutsche Orient-Gesellschaft (, ''German Oriental Society''), abbreviated DOG, is a German voluntary association based in Berlin dedicated to the study of the Near East. The DOG was officially founded in January 1898 to foster public interes ...
(German Oriental Society). In 1960, Ernst Kühnel became the second person to be awarded the
Charles Lang Freer Medal The Charles Lang Freer medal was established in 1956 by the Smithsonian Institution in honor of Charles Lang Freer, the founder of the Freer collection. The medal is conferred intermittently, honoring distinguished career contributions made by s ...
by the
Smithsonian Institution The Smithsonian Institution ( ), or simply the Smithsonian, is a group of museums, Education center, education and Research institute, research centers, created by the Federal government of the United States, U.S. government "for the increase a ...
.Freer Gallery of Art. (1960)
''Second presentation of the Charles Lang Freer medal, May 3, 1960.''
/ref> Kühnel died on 12 August 1964, at the age of 81.


Major works

*''Late Antique Coptic and Islamic Textiles of Egypt'', with W. F. Volbach (London, 1926) *"La Tradition copte dans les tissus musulmans" (''Bulletin de la Société d'archéologie copte'' 4, 1938, pp. 79−89) *"Koptische Kunst im islamischen Ägypten" (in ''Koptische Kunst, Christentum am Nil: Catalogue of the Exhibition in the Villa Hügel, Essen, May–August 1963'', Essen, 1963, pp. 153−6) *"Nachwirkungen der koptischen Kunst im islamischen Ägypten" (in Christentum am Nil. Internationale Arbeitstagung zur Ausstellung "Koptische Kunst" Essen, Villa Hügel, 23.-25.7.1963, Recklinghausen, 1964, pp. 257−9).


References

1882 births 1964 deaths German art historians Historians of Islamic art Coptic art Academic staff of the Humboldt University of Berlin Burials at the Waldfriedhof Zehlendorf Textile historians {{islam-historian-stub