Lot 300
Arthur Knebel (American, 1925-2013). "On the Deck" oil on canvas, 2001. Signed and dated at lower right. Sunlight spills across a wide wooden deck in Arthur Knebel's lively composition "On the Deck," where a solitary woman stands beneath a broad garden umbrella, her hand resting on the back of a folding chair. The scene unfolds in brilliant strokes of color - lavender shadows, warm red flowers in a terracotta pot, and the pale sweep of the canopy overhead - all rendered with energetic brushwork that captures the shimmer of afternoon light. A wooden railing frames the terrace, opening to a soft, distant landscape of trees and hills that dissolve into cool blues and greens. Knebel structures the composition around light and movement rather than strict realism. Long angled shadows stretch across the deck boards, creating a rhythmic pattern that guides the eye through the scene toward the central figure. Size: 32" W x 28" H (81.3 cm x 71.1 cm)
The woman, dressed in a loose lavender garment, becomes both subject and anchor within the composition, her quiet presence balancing the vibrant architecture of lines, shadows, and color that surround her. The umbrella pole and railing establish a strong geometry that contrasts with the loose, expressive treatment of foliage and sky.
Paint is applied in a richly textured surface, with quick strokes and layered tones suggesting Knebel's careful search for tonal harmony. Areas of the canvas appear to have been reworked, producing a tactile quality that catches light much like the sunlit boards of the deck itself. This combination of painterly spontaneity and careful adjustment reflects the artist's meticulous approach to balancing color and form within a composition.
The painting also carries a lyrical quietness. The figure is not engaged in action but stands in a moment of pause, surrounded by sunlight and open air. This contemplative atmosphere echoes the artist's sensitivity to rhythm and mood, qualities that often shaped his figurative work. The scene feels less like a narrative and more like a fleeting moment observed and translated into color - a private interval of light, space, and stillness.
Signed and dated "KNEBEL 01" at the lower edge, "On the Deck" reflects the mature work of an artist deeply attuned to the relationships between light, structure, and emotional tone. The painting transforms an ordinary outdoor setting into a vibrant study of color and atmosphere, where geometry, sunlight, and figure come together in a quiet yet radiant harmony.
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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#198972
- Condition: Painting is in excellent overall condition. Signed and dated at lower right.
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