Walt Kuhn

Walt Kuhn 1880-1949, American painter, b. New York City. At the age of 19 he worked as a cartoonist in San Francisco, contributing later to Life magazine. After travel and study in Europe he devoted himself largely to oil painting. In 1913, in cooperation with his friend Arthur B. Davies, he was instrumental in assembling the famous Armory Show . He is best known for his bold and brilliant interpretive portraits and figure studies of circus and backstage types, such as Blue Clown (Whitney Mus., New York City). He is represented in numerous American museums and several in Europe.

Kuhn, Walt (b New York, 27 Oct. 1877; d White Plains, NY, 13 July 1949). American painter, illustrator, and designer, best known for the major role he played in planning and organizing the Armory Show of 1913; he and Arthur B. Davies were its chief architects. In spite of his involvement with this milestone in modern art, his own work was fairly conservative, although influenced superficially by, for example, the bright colours of the Fauves. His best-known paintings are of clowns and circus life. From the 1920s he worked much as a designer for musical revues and also of industrial products. After suffering a nervous breakdown he died in a mental hospital.

Kuhn, Walt (1880–1949). American painter, cartoonist, designer, and art adviser, born in New York. His first name was originally William, but he adopted ‘Walt’ in about 1900. In his late teens he earned his living partly as a racing cyclist, then in 1899 began working as a cartoonist in San Francisco. From 1901 to 1903 he studied in Europe, before settling in New York, where he worked as a cartoonist and illustrator for various journals over the next decade. His painting of this time was influenced by Fauvism, but Kuhn was more important as a promoter of modern art than for his own work. His most significant role was in helping to organize the Armory Show in 1913; he and Arthur B. Davies were its chief architects. Kuhn was also an adviser to several pioneer collectors of modern art in the USA, notably Lillie P. Bliss and John Quinn.

In the wake of the Armory Show, Kuhn experimented with Cubism, but he reverted to a much more naturalistic style, and in the 1920s he began producing the pictures of circus performers that are his best-known works. Typically they depict a single figure, seated or half-length, boldly and frontally presented against a stark background (The Blue Clown, Whitney Museum, New York, 1931). The colours are often strong, even garish, but otherwise these paintings are fairly conservative. Kuhn also painted still-lifes and landscapes and he worked as a designer for musical reviews and of industrial products. He died in a mental hospital after suffering a nervous breakdown.