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Lot 374
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Arthur Knebel Pastel "Traveler" (1991)
Arthur Knebel Pastel "Traveler" (1991)
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Arthur Knebel (American, 1925-2013). "Traveler" pastel drawing on paper, 1991. Signed and dated at lower right. A solitary figure emerges from a shifting field of color in "Traveler," a work that feels less like a portrait than a passing encounter. The subject is seated at a table, loosely defined by a cup and bowl, yet the setting remains fluid, as if the figure has paused only briefly before moving on. The gaze turns slightly away, inward and alert, suggesting motion not of the body but of thought. Executed in pastel, the surface carries a soft volatility, perfectly suited to Knebel's interest in impermanence and tonal balance. Color moves freely across the paper in layered strokes of blue, ochre, rust, and ash gray, building form through accumulation rather than line. The figure is present but never fixed. Features dissolve at the edges, giving the impression of memory in the process of forming or fading. Size of pastel: 17" W x 21" H (43.2 cm x 53.3 cm); of frame: 25.25" W x 30.25" H (64.1 cm x 76.8 cm)

Light plays an essential role. Rather than describing a specific environment, it drifts across the composition in muted washes, recalling a photographer's instinct for atmosphere over detail. The background offers no clear destination, only suggestion, reinforcing the idea of travel as a psychological state rather than a literal journey. The cup and bowl anchor the composition momentarily, humble markers of rest along an otherwise undefined path.

This drawing reflects Knebel's lyrical approach to figuration, where realism yields to mood and rhythm. Like a quiet musical interlude, "Traveler" holds its energy in restraint. The figure does not announce itself but lingers, inviting the viewer to share a moment of suspension between arrival and departure. It is a work about motion without spectacle, about the dignity of pause, and about the subtle poetry of being briefly, attentively present.

About the artist: Arthur Henry Knebel Jr. was a gifted painter, photographer, and professional violist whose life intertwined the disciplines of sound, color, and light. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1925 to Arthur Henry Knebel and Margie Shafer Knebel, he grew up in a household steeped in the arts. His mother, a lecturer on modern art in the 1940s, and his father, a drafting artist, instilled in him both technical discipline and creative curiosity.

Before devoting himself fully to painting in 1986, Knebel enjoyed a distinguished musical career spanning more than four decades. He performed as a violist with the Cincinnati Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, North Carolina Symphony, Houston Symphony, and Denver Symphony orchestras, among others. After joining the Denver Musicians Association in 1964, he later taught at Metropolitan State College from 1987 to 1988.

Knebel's visual art reflects his mid-century sensibilities and a deep engagement with color, light, and design. A perfectionist by nature, he sought balance between realism and abstraction, frequently reworking his canvases to achieve ideal tonal harmony. His paintings often show the influence of photography - an art form he practiced with precision, developing his own prints and manipulating negatives to control the distribution of light. When painting, he sometimes used an orbital sander on the dried surface to refine texture and form.

Arthur's work was poetic both in mood and method. His subjects were often figurative, imbued with a quiet lyricism that mirrored his musical compositions. His poem "Shadow" encapsulates his introspective spirit:

"My shadow is the prisoner of the sun / Xeroxed days stapled on the wall / Taller than you, smaller than me / The tricks that run this show / Are wound up like a clock / Stretched like a lie / Sent like an errand in search of a meaning / Clenched like a fist at night / My shadow."

Though deeply private, Knebel exhibited occasionally, including at the Denver Art Museum and the Koelbel Library's Joan R. Duncan Gallery in Centennial, Colorado, in 2008, where he and his wife, pianist Susan Cowan Knebel, provided live music during the show. Their marriage, beginning the day after Thanksgiving in 1986, united two artists in a lifelong devotion to music and art.

Arthur Knebel passed away in 2013 at the Denver Hospice Care Center. His legacy endures through his paintings, which continue to find new homes through the ongoing efforts of his estate.

Provenance: private Shawnee, Colorado, USA collection

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Item # 198987

  • Condition: Excellent. Mounted behind glass in custom matte and frame; has not been examined outside of glass. Some chipping to glass near bottom edge; none of which affects pastel. Otherwise, frame and pastel appear to be in excellent overall condition with suspension wire on verso for display. Signed and dated at lower right.

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