Karl J. Priebe | |
|---|---|
 Karl Priebe, c. 1950 | |
| Born | (1914-07-01)July 1, 1914 |
| Died | July 5, 1976(1976-07-05) (aged 62) |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Layton School of Art School of the Art Institute of Chicago |
| Known for | Painter |
| Notable work | Madonna and Child |
| Movement | Surrealism |
| Awards | Prix de Rome: 1941[1] |
Karl J. Priebe (July 1, 1914 – July 5, 1976) was an American painter fromMilwaukee, Wisconsin whose studies and paintings of birds, exotic animals, and African-American culture won him international recognition.
Priebe was born inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, to Emil and Katherine Priebe. He graduated from theLayton School of Art, which closed due to financial insolvency in 1974. He also studied at theSchool of the Art Institute of Chicago, graduating in 1938. After serving on the anthropology staff of the Milwaukee Public Museum (1938–1942) and as director of theKalamazoo Institute of the Arts (1943–1944), he returned to Layton as an instructor in 1947.[1]
He was one of the few Wisconsin artists of his generation to escape the regionalist label and win showings in prestigious galleries, like those in New York City. His paintings were shown at major public and private galleries, among them theMilwaukee Art Museum, theCorcoran Gallery,Museum of Modern Art, and theArt Institute of Chicago.[2]
He drew the inspiration for his works from numerous locations. His paintings of exotic animals can be attributed to his numerous trips to theMilwaukee County Zoo.[citation needed] He first became interested in African-American culture when, as an art student inChicago, he taught a class in a settlement house largely attended by African Americans. His black figures, he recalled later, were not intended as portraits, but were taken from his memories of people he saw in the settlement house.[3]
He was the only Milwaukeean ever to receive thePrix de Rome, an honor accorded to him in 1941. Because of wartime condition he was unable to use the grant to study in Europe.[4] Throughout his creative life Priebe was known for his love of black culture. He was a longtime friend of such jazz greats asBillie Holiday,Pearl Bailey andDizzy Gillespie and of paintersGertrude Abercrombie andJohn Wilde.
In his later years Priebe suffered from a number of ailments. In November 1975 he had one of his eyes surgically removed. After that his health began to decline. He died at his home in Milwaukee after a long struggle with cancer on July 5, 1976, at the age of 62.[2]
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