John Canaday facts for kids

John Edwin Canaday (born February 1, 1907 – died July 19, 1985) was an important American art critic, author, and art historian. He was known for his strong opinions about art, especially modern art, and for writing many books.

Early Life and Learning

John Canaday was born in Fort Scott, Kansas. His family moved to Dallas when he was seven, and later to San Antonio. He went to high school there.

He started studying at the University of Texas in 1924. He earned a degree in French and English literature in 1929. After that, he studied painting and art history at Yale University, getting another degree in 1933.

Teaching Career

John Canaday taught at several colleges. These included Washburn University in Topeka (1933–34) and Newcomb College in New Orleans (1934–36). He also taught at Hollins College in Roanoke, Virginia (1936–38) and the University of Virginia in Charlottesville (1938–50).

World War II Service

In 1943, he traveled to the Belgian Congo in Africa. He worked there as a French interpreter for the government. The next year, he joined the United States Marine Corps. He was a lieutenant and served in the Pacific during World War II. After the war, he went back to the University of Virginia.

Museum Work

From 1950 to 1952, Canaday led the art school at Newcomb College. Then, from 1953 to 1959, he worked at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. He was in charge of the education part of the museum. During this time, he wrote for the "Metropolitan Seminars in Art." This was a popular series of art lessons published by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Newspaper Career

In 1959, John Canaday started working as a main art critic for The New York Times newspaper. He worked there for 17 years.

Strong Opinions on Art

In his very first newspaper column, he shared a strong opinion. He said that Abstract Expressionism, a very popular art style at the time, allowed for "incompetence and deception." This means he thought some artists were not very skilled or were tricking people.

He believed that while some Abstract Expressionist artists were talented, others were not. His comments made many people in the art world upset. Forty-nine important art figures even signed a letter to The New York Times to complain about him. They called him an "agitator," meaning someone who causes trouble.

However, other artists and critics liked his honest and clear way of looking at art. He continued to share his sharp opinions about the art scene for many years.

Author and Novelist

Besides writing for the Times, Canaday wrote many important books.

Art Books

One of his most famous books was Mainstreams of Modern Art: David to Picasso (1959). This book won an award and was used as a popular art history textbook for a long time. He also wrote about his experiences as a critic in books like Embattled Critic (1962) and Culture Gulch (1969).

Other art books he wrote include Keys to Art (1963), The Lives of the Painters (1969), and What is Art? An Introduction to Painting, Sculpture, and Architecture (1980).

Crime Novels

In the 1940s and 1950s, John Canaday also wrote seven crime novels. He used the pen name Matthew Head for these books. Some of his mystery novels were set in Africa, using his experiences from his time in the Congo. These books were praised for showing changes happening in Africa.

In 1974, Canaday stopped being the main art critic to focus more on writing books. He still wrote restaurant reviews for the Times until he retired in 1977. He also gave lectures and wrote for magazines like Smithsonian and The New Republic until he died.

Personal Life and Death

John Canaday married Katherine S. Hoover on September 19, 1935. They had two sons. He passed away in New York City on July 19, 1985, from pancreatic cancer.