Professor Alan Wallach is one of the luminaries in his field. As the author of seminal works, he contributed significantly to the academic discourse on American landscape paintings of the 19th century. He was curator of the exhibition Thomas Cole: Landscape into History that drew a long-neglected genre into the public eye. After the Second World War, abstract expressionism had become the epitome of modern painting. For the longest time, especially in Europe, little notice was taken of the American painting launched 200 years earlier. The exhibition was shown in various museums, including the National Museum of American Art in Washington and the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and was a milestone in the revival of the Hudson River School.

During his term as a visiting professor at Freie Universität Berlin, Professor Alan Wallach is teaching two courses: The class entitled Rethinking the Hudson River School deals with American landscape painting. The class entitled A Critical Historiography of the History of American Art is an introduction to American art history. Both classes are taught as seminars and are being held in conjunction with the Art History Institute of Freie Universität. They are also open to interested individuals who do not require academic credit.

Professor Wallach is the visiting professor in American art during the fall/winter term 2009/2010 at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Freie Universität Berlin. Thanks to a grant by the Terra Foundation for American Art, the Kennedy Institute is able invite a different renowned American art historian as a visiting professor each semester. The visiting professorship specifically aims to promote the study of American art history in Europe.