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Circus pictures comprise
the majority of Walt Kuhn's oeuvre, along with still lifes and
some landscapes. His works share a sense of vibrancy and
monumentality with great color and composition. Kuhn was inspired
and influenced by many artists, most notably Cézanne. Like
Cézanne, Kuhn also destroyed his canvases, saving only about a
dozen paintings a year. Acrobat is a study for a more
critical oil painting, and Kuhn's famous Blue Clown (1931)
is related both in spirit and style. Acrobat shares all
the charm and verve of Kuhn's great oils and is fundamentally
characteristic of Kuhn's art.
Born in Brooklyn in 1877, Kuhn studied at the Royal Academy in
Munich from 1901 to 1903. Returning to New York, he was employed
as a cartoonist and illustrator for magazines and newspapers. He
was associated with "The Eight" and, with Arthur B. Davies, was
the motivating force behind the American Association of Painters
and Sculptors. This organization mounted the 1913 Armory Show,
introducing contemporary European and American art to the general
public.
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