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Catalog Data

Creator:
Knaths, Karl, 1891-  Search this
Subject:
Einstein, Carl  Search this
Hofmann, Hans  Search this
Phillips, Marjorie  Search this
Mondrian, Piet  Search this
Mocsanyi, Paul  Search this
Meierhans, Joseph  Search this
Mehler, F. A.  Search this
Malevich, Kazimir Severinovich  Search this
Knaths, Karl  Search this
Phillips, Duncan  Search this
Roseberg, Paul and Company  Search this
Type:
Diaries
Sketchbooks
Paintings
Manuscripts
Prints
Sketches
Transcripts
Place of publication, production, or execution:
United States
Physical Description:
8.9 Linear feet
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged as 6 series: Series 1: Biographical Material, circa 1950s-1971 (Box 1, 8; 6 folders) Series 2: Correspondence, 1923-1971 (Box 1; .5 linear feet) Series 3: Writings, 1890, 1916-1968 (Boxes 1-3, 8, OV 14, OV 19; 2 linear feet) Series 4: Printed Material, circa 1920s-1973 (Box 3, OV 19; 10 folders) Series 5: Sketchbooks, circa 1920s-1970s (Boxes 3-6, 9-13; 4.5 linear feet) Series 6: Artwork, circa 1920s-1970s (Box 6, 13, OV 15-18, OV 20-22; 1.8 linear feet)
Access Note / Rights:
Use of original papers requires an appointment and is limited to the Archives' Washington, D.C. Research Center. Contact Reference Services for more information.
Summary:
The papers of cubist painter Karl Knaths measure 8.9 linear feet and date from 1890 to 1973, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1922 to 1971. The collection includes biographical material, personal and professional correspondence, four diaries, 22 notebooks and notes on theoretical color and compositional approaches to painting, published and draft copies of essays on art, miscellaneous printed material, 132 sketchbooks and other artwork.
Citation:
Karl Knaths papers, 1890-1973, bulk 1922-1971. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
Additional Forms:
The bulk of the collection was digitized in 2012 and is available via the Archives of American Art's website. Blank pages in bound volumes, banking and tax records, and miscellaneous printed materials have not been scanned. In many cases, only the cover, title page, and individual relevant pages have been scanned from published materials.
Material lent for microfilming is available on 35mm microfilm reel D81 at Archives of American Art offices and through interlibrary loan.
Funding:
Funding for the processing and digitization of this collection was provided by the Terra Foundation for American Art.
Use Note:
The Archives of American Art makes its archival collections available for non-commercial, educational and personal use unless restricted by copyright and/or donor restrictions, including but not limited to access and publication restrictions. AAA makes no representations concerning such rights and restrictions and it is the user's responsibility to determine whether rights or restrictions exist and to obtain any necessary permission to access, use, reproduce and publish the collections. Please refer to the Smithsonian's Terms of Use for additional information.
Related Materials:
The Archives of American Art holds one oral history interview with Karl Knaths conducted by Dorothy Seckler in 1962; a transcript of a 1968 lecture delivered by Knaths at the Provincetown Art Association in Provincetown, Massachusetts; and a 1955 video recording documenting Knaths's Cape Cod influenced artwork, directed by Jack Calderwood. The Archives of American Art also holds material lent for microfilming (reel D81) including one sketchbook. Lent materials were returned to the lender and are not described in the collection container inventory.
Biography Note:
Karl Knaths (1891-1971), born Otto G. Knaths, lived and worked in Provincetown, Massachusetts and was known for his cubist style of painting.
Language Note:
Most of the collection is in English; some records are in German.
Provenance:
In 1962, Karl Knaths lent the Archives of American Art a sketchbook and a selection of papers for microfilming. Upon Knath's death in 1972, these papers, excluding the sketchbook, along with additional materials, were willed to the Archives. His executor, Kenneth Desmarais, donated additional material from Knaths's estate in 1977 and 1980.
Digitization Note:
This site provides access to the papers of Karl Knaths in the Archives of American Art that were digitized in 2016. The papers have been scanned in their entirety, and total 12,053 images.
Location Note:
Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, 750 9th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20001
Topic:
Painting -- Study and teaching  Search this
Painting -- Technique  Search this
Cubism  Search this
Art -- Technique  Search this
Color in art  Search this
Art -- Study and teaching  Search this
Theme:
Diaries  Search this
Sketches & Sketchbooks  Search this
Lives of artists  Search this
Record number:
(DSI-AAA_CollID)7754
(DSI-AAA_SIRISBib)209919
AAA_collcode_knatkarp
Theme:
Diaries
Sketches & Sketchbooks
Lives of artists
Data Source:
Archives of American Art
EDAN-URL:
edanmdm:AAADCD_coll_209919