Janson, H(orst) W(oldemar) (‘Peter’) (1913–1982)

Russian-born US art historian. He taught at numerous institutions, notably New York University 1949–74, where he chaired the Department of Fine Arts. He published many books on art history, ranging from cave paintings to 19th-century art. His History of Art 1969 was for many years the standard text for college art history courses.

Born in St Petersburg, he studied at the universities of Hamburg and Munich before he emigrated to the USA. He earned his PhD at Harvard in 1942.