Otto Karl Knaths

American (1891-1971)

Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in 1891, Knaths spent his early life in the Midwest, enjoying Chicago for its culture and art. Knaths studied art at the Art Institute of Chicago from 1912 until 1916 as well as at the Milwaukee Art Institute. Knaths moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts in 1919, and as he developed as an artist, found himself influenced by cubism. He created his own unique style, melding color theory and cubism as he painted subject matter from still lifes to landscapes.

In 1936, he became a member of the American Abstract Artists group; he also held membership with the National Academy. A proficient artist, Knaths exhibited at the Society of Independent Artists, Art Institute of Chicago, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Art, National Academy of Design and elsewhere, winning many awards for his works. Knaths works can be found in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Museum of Modern Art, Art Institute of Chicago, Detroit Institute of Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, San Francisco Museum of Art, the Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, CT, among others.

Along with painting, Knaths taught art at Bennington College, Vermont and American University, Washington, DC. He also taught a course at the Phillips Collection, Washington, DC from 1937-1950.