Karin Van Leyden

Karin was born Elizabeth Kluth in 1906 in Charlottenburg, Germany. When she was 19 years old, she began her art studies at the Cologne Art School with two well-known painters, John Thorn Prikker and Richard Seewald. After two years under their tutelage Karin moved to Switzerland to continue her studies. During this period, she met her husband, the Dutch painter, Ernest Van Leyden. They traveled extensively visiting Egypt, Syria, Italy and Lebanon and eventually settling in Paris. Ernest and Karin’s Parisian social circle was the Parisian Café Society including Marc Chagall, Willem de Kooring, and Piet Mondrian.

Sensing the political uncertainty in Europe, they moved to California and purchased a farm. Karin continued to paint but she also expanded her repertoire to include murals, commissioned work for advertising and painted pieces of glass. From 1953 onward she expressed herself through abstract works in oil on canvas and collages.
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Karin ultimately divided her time between Switzerland and the vibrant cities of Italy seeing very little of her husband after 1960. Karin’s work can be seen in various museums worldwide including: The Tate Gallery; The National Gallery; The Guggenheim; The Whitney; Musea d’art Modern de la Ville; Museum of Cairo and Museum of Budapest.

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