Max Kuehne was a colorist best remembered for his Impressionist style and vivid rendering of light and color. He practiced open air painting and created many cheerful landscapes.
Kuehne was born in Halle, Germany, in 1880. He moved to Flushing, New York, in 1894, and there grew to love the active, outdoor life, spending the summer months on the Hudson River swimming, rowing and sailing.
He began formal art training at age 27 and studied with William Merritt Chase and Robert Henri, two prominent American painters. During this time, he learned the values and techniques of the Impressionist and Realist schools. After finishing his studies, Kuehne traveled Europe, exploring the continent on his bicycle. There, he absorbed the influence of many different artistic styles and techniques, from Fauvism to Cubism to the Old Masters.
After further travels, Kuehne set up a studio in Rockport, Massachusetts, and spent his summers in Cape Ann, Massachusetts. He maintained an active schedule, becoming something of a legend for his energetic pursuits: painting in the morning, swimming or sailing in the afternoon, then a lunch or picnic outside.
Kuehne appears to have been very hard hit by the Depression years. To make ends meet he developed a career creating decorative screens, panels, and furniture in gesso and silver leaf, skills he acquired while making his own frames. His athletic pursuits helped him live a long life and invigorated his painting, infusing his marine and boating subject matter with a dynamic energy.
Adapted from Artists of Cape Ann: A 150 Year Tradition by Kristian Davies
From the guide to the Max Kuehne Papers, 1912-1962., (Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries)
