Dr Gert-Jan Johannes studied social sciences and Dutch. He obtained his PhD with a thesis on a literary-historical subject and publishes on literary and cultural history. Dr Gert-Jan Johannes is affiliated with the Research Institute for History and Culture (OGC) of the Faculty of Arts at Utrecht University. In addition to his dissertation Geduchte verbeeldingskracht! (Formidable Imagination!), he has published numerous text editions, articles and books on literary and cultural history topics. These include De barometer van de smaak (The Barometer of Taste), De lof der aalbessen (In Praise of Currants) and Van Haarlem naar Manhattan (From Haarlem to Manhattan). In his articles on this platform, he combines literary and cultural history with patronage.