The Esoteric Art of John Augustus Knapp: A Lecture by Michael Pearce

Illustrator & artist John Augustus Knapp (1853-1938) is best known today for his collaborations with Manly P. Hall on the pioneering encyclopedia of esoteric symbols and traditions, The Secret Teachings of All Ages (1928) and The Revised New Art Tarot Deck (1929). Knapp’s breathtaking illustrations for The Secret Teachings - gorgeous visions of Atlantean temples, Delphic oracles and Mithraic gods, swirling with color and arcane symbols - are among the most admired works in esoteric art in the 20 th century. Similarly, his designs for the Knapp-Hall Tarot have become classics in the field for their medieval-inspired simplicity and beauty.
A native of Kentucky, born before the Civil War broke out, Knapp was well into his 60s when he met the much-younger Manly Hall and began working together on Knapp’s journal The All-Seeing Eye and other books.
Professor, curator and artist Michael Pearce will give a fascinating overview of Knapp’s life and career, including his work in the late 1800s and early 1900s, his time with early movie pioneer Thomas Ince and (of course), his collaboration with Manly Hall, in this illustrated lecture.
Michael Pearce is a dynamic writer, exhibit curator, and art critic. He is an active and enthusiastic participant in the conversation about 21st century art and its roots, especially contemporary imaginative realism. He has published dozens of articles about art and artists, and wrote a book about art and neuroscience titled Art in the Age of Emergence. He is a champion of art that emerges from popular culture and shapes the spirit of the age. His book Kitsch, Propaganda and the American Avant-garde - the story of the invention of the American avant-garde - will be published later this year. He is Professor of Art at California Lutheran University.
To purchase prints of J. Augustus Knapp's paintings please visit: www.prs.org/store/c19/Symboli...
To support programs like these please visit: www.prs.org/support.html