Johanna Vakkari

Subject of my research is J. J. Tikkanen, the first professor of Art History in Finland and his research methods. He was one of those 19th century scholars who acquired extensive empirical expertise, developing from that base formalistic comparative research methods. Most of his work could be located under the umbrella of the history of style with several focus areas such as the illuminated medieval manuscripts, use of colours in art and the history of ornament. He became a pioneer in the study of the gestural language of art and used this expertise not only in his studies on the motives in art but also to distinguish the styles of different eras. Tikkanen had practiced drawing from his childhood and received along his school and university studies a 9-year training in art corresponding to that given to many of his contemporaries who later became leading painters. He never became an artist, but the art education proved to be significant for his entire academic career. It was his artistic talent, training and working experience in the field that guaranteed him the ability to understand from within the process of making art and make professional observations about materials, technique and form. Tikkanen's archive at the National Library of Finland is internationally important. He was able to draw what he saw quickly and with exceptional skill and the particular beauty of this archive lies in its thousands and thousands of drawings and watercolours. I examine Tikkanen in the context of art history as prehistory of artistic research.

Johanna Vakkari (Ph.D., docent) has long-running experience of working as a teacher, researcher and employee within university administration. She has worked as a coordinator at the Academy of Fine Arts since 2011, and in 2018, she was appointed vice dean in charge of teaching. She has also acted as deputy dean.

Between 2014 and 2016, she worked as the head of the Arts & Culture Programme at the Finnish Institute in London. Vakkari has taught art history for over 25 years and written several publications in her own fields of expertise.

Vakkari is working as a part-time university researcher since 1.10.2023.