Caldwell Gallery Hudson is pleased to present an online exhibition of John Von Wicht works on paper created in the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Holstein, Germany in 1888, Von Wicht began his studies of art while still in elementary school under the tutelage of Gerhard Bakenhus. Critical acclaim for his first exhibited work led to Von Wicht being accepted into the private art school of the Grand Duke of Hesse in Darmstadt. From there went on to study at the Royal School of Fine & Applied Arts in Berlin.
After WWI Von Wicht immigrated to New York City in 1923, where he found work in lithography, and later at a mosaic tile company. John Von Wicht participated in the WPA (Federal Arts Project) working with fellow artists Byron Browne, Louis Schanker, and Stuart Davis on murals, stained glass, and mosaics in multiple Federal buildings along the east coast.
Later in the 1930s Von Wicht became a member of the American Abstract Artists Group (AAA). At this time his work started to transition into linear abstractions, often with a geometric style which reflected his interest in cubism. Over time these abstractions matured into a unique style best described as lyrical expressionism.
During his career, Von Wicht had more than 30 one-man shows, exhibited at countless museum group shows, and won more than 25 art awards. Honored with a 1954 residency at the MacDowell Artists Colony, Von Wicht began creating an innovative series of works on rice paper. After the residency he continued these visual meditations over the next fifteen years.
In 1969 Von Wicht selected a group of over 100 of these paintings to give as a gift to a close personal friend. Caldwell Gallery Hudson acquired this collection and is featuring a selection of twenty-four in this online exhibition. They survive in pristine condition due to having never been matted, framed, glued, taped, nor exposed to light since they were painted.