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Nordhagen received his education in art history at the University of Oslo where he successfully defended his dissertation (in 1968) on Pope John VII's frescoes in Santa Maria Antiqua at the Forum Romanum. As a leading academic authority on Santa Maria Antiqua, he led colleagues and visitors on an expert-led site visit there on the occasion of the Institute's 50th anniversary in 2008, further affirming his esteemed reputation in the field.
Nordhagen served as an associate professor at the University of Bergen from 1969 to 1973. He thereafter succeeded Hans Peter L'Orange as the head of the Norwegian Institute in Rome until 1976. During his tenure as head of the Norwegian Institute in Rome, Per Jonas was a vital force in promoting Norwegian research and collaboration abroad. He then taught at the University of Oslo until 1986, when he became a professor of art history at the University of Bergen.
In addition to his focus on general art history, Nordhagen worked on art and architectural history from the 18th to the 20th centuries. He is also well known for his studies of Italian and Byzantine mosaics and frescoes from the early Middle Ages.
Per Jonas Nordhagen also played an important role in cultural heritage preservation regarding wooden architecture, especially in Bergen. He worked to document and preserve the city’s unique wooden house environment and contributed to raising awareness of building preservation.
Nordhagen was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from 1977 and served as vice-chair of the board of the National Gallery. He was also the editor of the periodical "Kunst og kultur", Norway's oldest art history journal, from 1981 to 1985.
The funeral will take place at the Maria Church in Bergen on Friday, June 6, 2025. We wish to extend our deepest condolences to Per Jonas’ family, friends, and all who were close to him.