Wolf Kahn
MENEMSHA
oil on canvas
12 x 32 in
30.5 x 81.3 cm
Available at Surovek Gallery
On Monday, August 24th, the Wolf Kahn Foundation opened a permanent space in New York City, dedicated to the artist’s life and work. The Wolf Kahn Foundation and Archives at 134 West 26th Street will contain research materials, including early studies, letters, lectures, publications, and photographs.
Kahn was born in Stuttgart, Germany in 1927. His father, a notable Jewish musician and conductor with the Stuttgart Philharmonic Orchestra, was targeted by the Nazis. The family immigrated to the United States. Kahn attended the High School of Music and Art in New York, spent a year in the U.S. Navy and continued to study art at the Hans Hofmann School with the help of the G.I. Bill. In 1949, Kahn received a BA degree from the University of Chicago and went on to teach at Cooper Union. In 2017, the U.S. State Department awarded him the International Medal of Art.
Kahn was married to artist Emily Mason for 62 years. The couple divided their time between their home and studio in New York and their home and studio in West Brattleboro, Vermont. Kahn died on March 15, 2020, just a few months after Mason’s death in December of 2019.
When asked about his life as an artist in a University of Chicago interview, Kahn said, “I consider myself one of the fortunate people of the world. I make a decent living. I love this studio. I spend ten hours a day here, seven days a week—I really am a workaholic. People ask me where I go for a vacation, and I say, “My whole life’s a vacation.”
The Wolf Kahn Foundation and Archives will be open by appointment. The Foundation is preparing to honor Wolf Kahn with a centennial celebration in October 2027.
The works of Fernando Botero are currently on view at Sotheby’s Breuer Building in New York. Botero in New York focuses on paintings and sculptures that the Columbian artist created between 1960 and 1973 when he was living in NYC.
Botero was born in Medellín, Colombia in 1932. His large, voluptuous paintings and sculptures were not always popular with art critics, but were always appreciated by art lovers. His works most often had a touch of humor and warmth, but he also dealt with political themes and human rights.
Botero in New York will be on view at Sotheby’s through September 7th, although each work has been sold.
Fernando Botero is one of the world’s most beloved artists. He died in Monte Carlo, Monaco in 2023 at age 91.
References:
Valentina Di Liscia. Wolf Kahn Foundation Opens New Space in NYC. Hyperallergic. August 20, 2026.
Terry Teachout. Portrait of a Painter. The Core/College Magazine of the University of Chicago. Spring/Summer 2009.
Art Forum/Newsdesk. Wolf Kahn Foundation Has a New Space in Manhattan. August 24, 2026.
Jillian Steinhauer, Andrew Russeth and Carolina A. Miranda. Art Gallery Shows to See in August. The New York Times. August 20, 2026.
Simon de Pury. Simon de Pury: Sometimes the Art World Gets It Wrong. Artnet. August 24, 2026.
Please contact us if you would like more information about the work of Wolf Kahn and Fernando Botero available at Surovek Gallery.
