BODE, WILHELM VON (1845-1929), German art critic, was born at Kalvorde, Brunswick, on Dec. Io, 1845. After having studied law he entered the legal profession. In 1869 he turned to the study of Dutch painting. He became assistant in the Berlin museum in 1872, curator of the department of Christian sculpture in 1883, and director of the Kaiser Friedrich Museum in 1890. During his management this museum became one of the foremost collections of the world. In 1905 he was made general director of all the royal museums in Prussia, resigning in 1920. His knowledge extended over a wide field and is especially valued in Dutch and Flemish painting and in Italian sculpture.
His more important works are : Geschichte der deutschen Plastik (188 5) ; Italienische Bildhauer der Renaissance (1887); Rembrandt, 8 vols., assisted by Hofstede de Groot (1897-190o, Eng. trans. 1906) ; Italienische Hausmobel der Renaissance (1902; Eng. trans., 1921) ; Florentiner Bildhauer der Renaissance 0902, Eng. trans., 1908) ; Italian Bronze Statuettes of the Renaissance (3 vols., assisted by Murray Marks, 190 7) ; Die Meister der hollandischen and vlamischen Malerschulen (1919); Adam Elsheimer (1920) ; Bertoldo and Lorenzo de Medici (1925) ; and Botticelli (1926).
He described his administrative work in Funfzig Jahre Mu seums-arbeit (1922). On the occasion of his 8oth birthday a volume was published entitled Hauptwerke aus den staatlichen Museum zu Berlin, Wilhelm von Bode zu Ekren herausgegeben von den Abteilungsleitern (1926). He died March 2, 1929.