Paul Mellenthin

Paul Mellenthin

Paul Mellenthin is an art historian and researcher with a specialization in the history of photography. He studied art history, with a focus on image theory, in Leipzig, Berlin, Paris, Rome, and at the University of Basel, where he successfully earned his PhD. Currently serving as a Lecturer in Modern and Contemporary Art and Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Tübingen, Paul is inquiring into archival art from 1960 to the present day.

Prior to joining Tübingen’s chair for art history, he worked as an Assistant Curator at Münchner Stadtmuseum and Kunstmuseum Basel. Additionally, he directed the photography collection of the Jacques Herzog and Pierre de Meuron Kabinett in Basel. Over the years, Paul has also held teaching and research roles at the University of Basel, University of Potsdam, Berlin University of the Arts, and Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, and has been recognized for his scholarly pursuits with fellowships, including the eikones Center for Theory and History of the Image in Basel, the Max Planck Institute for Art History in Rome, the German Center for Art History in Paris, and the Getty Research Institute in Los Angeles.

His contributions to the theory and history of photography are reflected in numerous publications. Notably, Paul recently edited a special issue for the Austrian journal Fotogeschichte titled “Critique of the Author: Photography as a Collective Enterprise” (2023). Collaborating with Ulrich Pohlmann, he co-authored the volume “Adolphe Braun: A Photographic Enterprise and the Arts in Nineteenth Century Europe” (2017). Additionally, together with Olga Osadtschy, he co-authored the volume “Exposure Time: The Collection of Ruth and Peter Herzog” (2020). Currently, Paul is preparing a monograph on the visual imagery of the Franco-German War as well as the Paris Commune and its significant role in shaping historical narratives of the modern era.