Charles L. Kuhn | |
|---|---|
| Born | Charles Louis Kuhn II (1901-12-14)December 14, 1901 Cincinnati,Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | July 21, 1985(1985-07-21) (aged 82) Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Art historian Curator |
| Spouse | Hetty |
| Children | 2 |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Harvard University |
| Thesis | The Romanesque Mural Painting of Catalonia (1929) |
| Influences | Kuno Francke |
| Academic work | |
| Discipline | Art history |
| Sub-discipline | German art |
| Institutions | Busch-Reisinger Museum |
Charles Louis Kuhn II (December 14, 1901 – July 21, 1985) was an Americanart historian andcurator. Kuhn was the Director of theBusch-Reisinger Museum atHarvard University from 1930 to 1968.[1]
Kuhn graduated from theUniversity of Michigan with aBachelor of Arts in 1923, and then continued on toHarvard University to earn aMaster of Arts and aDoctor of Philosophy in 1924 and 1929, respectively.[2] His doctoral dissertation was onRomanesquemurals inCatalonia.[3]
A year later, Kuhn joined the faculty of his alma mater. In addition to teaching, he was named Director of theBusch-Reisinger Museum there, which was dedicated to the study of art fromGermanic countries, succeedingKuno Francke. Kuhn also served as the chair of theart history department from 1949 to 1953. He retired from Harvard in 1968 and was given the title of Emeritus. During his tenure, Kuhn helped the museum acquire important works such asSelf-Portrait in Tuxedo byMax Beckmann.
Kuhn's academic career was interrupted byWorld War II as, in 1942, he joined theUnited States Naval Reserve as aNavy Intelligence Officer. In addition to rising to the rank ofLieutenant Commander, he was also assigned an Officer forMonuments, Fine Arts, and Archives program (MFAA) by theRoberts Commission. In 1945, Kuhn was named Deputy Chief of the MFAA by its head,Geoffrey Webb, and was stationed inFrankfurt andVersailles. They were responsible for recoveringNazi plunder. In 1945, Kuhn returned to Harvard.
In 1955, Kuhn was named a Knight of theOrder of the Polar Star by theGovernment of Sweden, and four years later, was given theOrder of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.[4]
Kuhn died inCambridge in 1985.
