The Life and Art of Kurt Seligmann
Born in Basel, Switzerland, Kurt Seligmann was a Swiss-American Surrealist painter, engraver, and occultist. His artistic journey began in his youth while working in a print shop, where he hand-colored glass lantern slides. After studying at the École Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Geneva, he attended the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence. Seligmann’s work is characterized by fantastic imagery, often featuring medieval troubadors and knights engaged in macabre rituals, inspired by the annual carnival of his native Basel.
In 1929, Seligmann moved to Paris, where he became deeply involved in the Surrealist movement. He was a member of the group Abstraction-Création and was eventually accepted into the Surrealist movement by André Breton. His travels to French Tahiti, Alaska, and British Columbia during the 1930s sparked a profound interest in Indigenous art and totems.
Exile and Later Years
Following the invasion of Poland in 1939, Seligmann and his wife, Arlette Paraf, relocated to New York City. During his time in exile in the 1940s, his work leaned heavily into the incorporation of magic, myth, and the occult. He was a prolific writer, publishing works such as Magic, Supernaturalism and Religion and The Mirror of Magic.
Seligmann was also an educator, teaching at Briarcliff Junior College, The New School for Social Research, and Brooklyn College. His students included Robert Motherwell and Alan Vega. In his later years, he lived on a farm in Sugar Loaf, New York, where he continued to paint and garden until his death.
Questions & Answers
Is there a timeline of Kurt Seligmann's works?
A timeline of Kurt Seligmann's works exists: the artist's Artwork Timeline page orders the artworks by creation date.
What are the birthplace and birth year of Kurt Seligmann?
Kurt Seligmann was born in Basel in 1900.
How is Kurt Seligmann's career divided into periods?
A chronological account of Kurt Seligmann's work is available on the artist's Chronicle page, where the artworks pass in order of creation, chapter by chapter.
Is there a complete list of Kurt Seligmann's artworks?
Every work by Kurt Seligmann on this website can be browsed from the artist's All Artworks page.
