Walt Kuhn: A Pioneer of American Modernism Early Life and Background Born: 1877 in New York City. Kuhn’s early life was rooted in a working-class family near the Brooklyn docks, exposing him to vibrant yet rough waterfront experiences. Despite a natural inclination towards drawing, his initial career path diverged from art, involving work as a bicycle repair shop owner and a professional bike racer. He began selling drawings at age fifteen, adopting the signature “Walt.” Formal artistic training commenced in 1893 at the Brooklyn Polytechnic Institute. European Studies and Artist…