Wölff is a mobile and web app for art historians who teach and conduct research with digital images. Named after Heinrich Wölfflin, who popularized the comparative slide lecture format by means of two magic lanterns, Wölff embraces the tactile aspects of handling tangible images on tablets' touch screens. Rather than with a disembodied mouse cursor, we can pan and zoom into digitized artworks for the scrutiny of fine details, which for decades have lurked behind the blurry shadows of poor photographic reproduction. With Wölff, the original work of art is closer to our "fingertips" than ever before. Paying tribute to technology's deep historical relevance to the discipline of art history, this talk by Penn alum Gregory Bryda will also address the potential methodological implications of future technological developments, which aim to advance the study of visual culture.

For more information on digital humanities at Penn, including research, education, and fellowship opportunities, visit the Price Lab for Digital Humanities website: pricelab.sas.upenn.edu!