Timeline

1904

Born in Brussels, Belgium

1920

Studied at the Arts and Crafts School in Elberfeld, Germany

1922

Studied at the Academies of Fine Art in Berlin and in Dusseldorf

1925

Began work as a freelance artist when he was hired by the Keolner Tageblatt, a daily newspaper in Cologne, Germany

1928

Emigrated to New York, NY

1936 - 1939

Made six long trips touring the United States painting and sketching life from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico and from Maine to Oregon

1936

Enrolled in the WPA Federal Art Project

1941 - 1945

Commissioned by the United States Army and Navy to do a series of works. One project in 1943 was a joint effort with his friend Thomas Hart Benton to capture life aboard a submarine.

1958

Joined the faculty of the New School for Social Research, New York, NY

1964

Artist-In-Residence, Northern Michigan University, Marquette, MI

1977

Died in New York, NY