ArtistKlinghoffer, Clara

Artist Years1900-1970

Artist NationalityAmerican, Austrian

TitleMother and Child

Year1959

MediumPrint > Lithograph

DimensionsComposition: 11 X 8.6 inches

Catalog ReferenceKSU Beach Museum 1608; AAA Cat.: 1965‑04

Accession Number605482

NotesAlthough she was born in Austria and spent most of her post World War II years in the United States, Clara Klinghoffer is considered an important English painter and printmaker. Born in a poor family she moved to London's East End at a young age. Showing a remarkable aptitude for art her parents managed to buy her art supplies and enrolled her in a modest class in Aldgate. At the age of fifteen she took a portfolio of her work to London's Central School of Arts and Crafts. There her drawings fortunately came to the attention of the influential teacher and scholar, Bernard Meninsky. It is reported that upon first seeing her work Meninsky stated, "Good Lord, that child draws like da Vinci."

Clara Klinghoffer was then invited to study at the Slade where she remained for two years. Her outstanding abilities continued to draw recognition and in 1919 her mentors, which included Sir Jacob Epstein, Walter Sickert, Alfred Wolmark and Meninsky, organized her first solo exhibition of paintings and drawings at the Hampstead Gallery in London. The exhibition was a huge success and Clara Klinghoffer, at age of nineteen, found herself among the leaders of British women artists.

During the 1920's and 1930's Clara continued to exhibit her fine portraits and figure studies both in England and in Europe. During this time the National Portrait Gallery, London, acquired three of her works and the Tate Gallery purchased a painting in 1933. In 1929 she married a Dutch journalist and moved to Amsterdam. In 1939, the Nazi invasion of Holland forced Clara Klinghoffer and her family to flee first to London and finally to the United States.

Following the end of World War II, Clara Klinghoffer lived and worked in both London and New York. She began exhibiting her art in the United States at this time.

As an original printmaker Clara Klinghoffer first practiced etching in the 1920's and 1930's. Her initial lithographs date from around 1950. Depicting mainly figure studies and nudes, a number of these lithographs were commissioned by the Associated American Artists in New York in limited, signed editions of 250.

Since its creation in the mid 1930's, the Associated American Artists commissioned original graphic art from such great masters as Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton, Reginald Marsh and others. In the 1950's and 1960's, contributing artists included Jack Levine, Chaim Koppelman, Joseph Margulies, Lawrence Beall Smith, James Kearns and, of course, Clara Klinghoffer.
(source: Art of the Print)

Price $525.00

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