 In 1871 Woermann participated in the so-called "Holbein convention" in Dresden, at which a number of prominent art historians convened to determine which of two versions of Hans Holbein the Younger's "Meyer Madonna" was the original work.He was called to the academy at Düsseldorf in 1874 as professor of the history of art and literature.In 1882 he became director of the picture gallery at Dresden, of which he wrote the first scientific catalogue (1897).