With, Karl, 1891-1980

Karl With was a professor, curator and museum director in his native Germany and in his adopted home, the United States. He published several works on Asian art and taught for many years at UCLA.

Biographical/Historical Note

The art historian Karl With (1891-1980) was a professor, curator and museum director. He spent his early years in Bremerhaven, Germany, where his father was a renowned physician who had an interest in art. With entered university at Freiburg in 1910 to study literature, but he was uninspired by the learning atmosphere and the dominance of the fraternity system.

In 1911, With met the Russian-born sculptor Moisey Kogan (1879-1942). This stimulated With's interest in studying art, and he spent a wanderjahre in Europe. With attended lectures by Wölfflin in Berlin, 1911-12 and saw Leonardo's “Last Supper” in Milan. With admired Wölfflin's analysis of style but not his emphasis on western art, and he remembers being “disillusioned” by the “Last Supper.” Throughout his career, With remained opposed to what he called “glorified western art of the renaissance.”

More inspiring to With than either Wölfflin or Leonardo was the opening of the Yi Yuan collection of Asian art, owned by the Baron Eduard von der Heydt. This led With to study art history at Vienna, where he earned a doctorate under Joseph Strzygowsky. In 1913, With traveled with his classmate Oskar Vonwiller to China and Japan, eventually visiting Indonesia, Bali and Egypt. With took many photographs of art at this time, some of which were published in Buddischiste Plastik in Japan, 1919. Between 1919 and 1926, With published several books on Asian art.

In the 1910s, With worked for Karl Ernst Osthaus, the founder of the Folkwang Museum, Hagen and the Museum für Kunst in Handel und Gewerbe. With made many purchases for Osthaus' museums during his travels. Upon his return in 1914, With enlisted in the army, and he left a decorated lieutenant in 1918. After the war, With became a guest curator at the Folkwang Museum. With learned much about industrial and craft arts, and began curating exhibits. At this time, With married his first wife Irene, with whom he had two sons.

In 1921, With moved to Cologne to catalogue the collection of the Baron von der Heydt (catalogue published in 1924). In 1925, he became head lecturer at the Kolner Werkschule. In 1928 then lord-mayor Konrad Adenauer selected With to direct the Kunstgewerbemuseum in Cologne, and the Cologne Werkshulen in 1931. With was dismissed from his positions by the Nazis, who labeled his interest in Asian and modern art “degenerate.” Much of his research material, papers, and books were destroyed upon his dismissal. With moved to Berlin, where he worked for Ullstein Publications, and he published two books. From 1936 to 1939 With worked for the Baron von der Heydt in Ascona, Switzerland.

In 1939 With emigrated to the United States, and soon after he married his German fiancée Gerda Becker. His first positions were as lecturer at the Graduate School of Design in Pasadena and the University of San Francisco. From 1941 to 1948, With taught and served as head of the newly-formed art department at Hamilton College in New York. He moved to Los Angeles in 1948 and was involved with the short-lived Modern Art Institute in Beverly Hills until 1950.

From 1948 to 1966 With taught at UCLA, where his lectures focused on prehistoric, Asian and modern art, and he developed two popular lecture courses: “Integrated Arts” and “Man and Art.” Outside of UCLA, With guest curated exhibits and was on the panel to select the sculptor for the central fountain of the Music Center, Los Angeles. He won many awards for his teaching, including the distinguished teacher award in 1951 and Doctor of Fine Arts honoris causa in 1962. With died in 1980.