Herbert Reynolds Kniffin (American, 1886-1970)

Herbert Reynolds Kniffin was born in 1886. He studied at the Cooper Union School of Art, Columbia University, and independently in Paris. He was the Director of Fine Art at the University of Pittsburgh from 1912-1917. He was engaged to Henrietta Pyre in 1914, while teaching at Pitt and was later married. In the 1910s, Kniffin frequently traveled to France and executed numerous scenes of especially Paris and Saint-Tropez. He also visited Algiers and painted several North African scenes. While teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, he exhibited five works over three years at the Pittsburgh Associated Artists, the most well-known work being a 40" x 50" harbor scene titled "The Dories", done in 1916.

Kniffin left Pitt in 1918 for a position as Director of Art for the Ethical Culture Society in New York City. One of his favorite students here, and perhaps the most well-known, was Jon Corbino. He also held teaching positions at the University of California (1918), Fieldstone Art Academy (1918-1930), Rutgers, and the Grand Central School of Art.

He painted a variety of subjects: harbor scenes, street scenes, landscapes, coastal scenes, and figurative work. Kniffin traveled to Bermuda in the 1920s to paint. He lived in Gloucester for a time, and his address was 78 Rocky Neck Ave. Later in his career, while living in Florida, he painted local plant and animal life as well as Native American subjects. Kniffin died in 1970.

Kniffin was the author of a series of books on art/art history: "Masks" ; "Elements of Art Appreciation"; and "Fine Arts & Education" (1931).