Carl Justi (1832–1912) devoted much of his life to Spanish art and disseminated its knowledge in Germany, arousing interest in studying it and securing it a place in international art historiography. He also enjoyed significant influence among his Spanish colleagues, as he was a regular visitor to the country on numerous study trips. He very soon earned acclaim as an art historian for his biography of Johann Joachim Winckelmann, which remains unsurpassed, and went on to study Spanish art and culture. One of his earliest and best known works was Diego Velázquez and His Times. The original German edition (1888) was the first modern scientific study of the painter and his oeuvre, and the book continues to be published and read to this day. Interest in the writings of this eminent Hispanist remains alive, as proven by the recent republication of Misceláneas de tres siglos de vida artística española, which brings together his most outstanding studies of Spanish art.

To commemorate the anniversary of his death, a tribute is being paid to his memory from a dual Spanish-German perspective with the aim of deepening knowledge of the man, his oeuvre and his particular style, as well as his influence in the Spain and Germany of his day. A select group of researchers from both countries analyses these issues and provides what is the most novel and attractive biographical sketch of Justi to date. This book thus makes an important contribution to Spanish and German art historical literature at a crucial time for contemporary Europe.

Antonio Bonet Correa (1925–2020) was emeritus professor at the Complutense University of Madrid and honorary director of the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando.

Henrik Karge, who holds a PhD in Art History, is a professor at the Technische Universität Dresden and a member of the presidency of the Carl Justi Vereinigung / Asociación Carl Justi.

Jorge Maier Allende is a researcher at the Cabinet of Antiquities of the Real Academia de la Historia and president of the Association of Friends of the Instituto Arqueológico Alemán in Madrid.