John Sennhauser

John Sennhauser emerged as an abstract painter in the late 1930s, becoming part of the influential circle around Hilla Rebay, director of the Museum of Non-Objective Painting (Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation). Born in Switzerland and raised in Italy, he studied at the Royal Academy in Venice from 1926 to 1927 before relocating to the United States in 1928, where he worked as an architectural draftsman in New York.
Sennhauser honed his understanding of abstract art while studying at Cooper Union from 1930 to 1933. To support himself, he painted murals on commission and taught at the Leonardo da Vinci Art School and the Contemporary School of Art. It wasn't until the late 1930s that he began creating the non-objective works for which he is well-known.
In 1943, Sennhauser joined the Museum of Non-Objective Painting as a lecturer and preparator, where he was influenced by Kandinsky's style and the mysticism of non-objective art. However, he left the museum two years later due to disagreements with Rebay’s philosophies. He was introduced to the Abstract American Artists group by fellow artist Jean Xceron, participating in annual exhibitions until the late 1970s. Sennhauser served as the group's secretary and treasurer from 1949 to 1952. His work continued to evolve, incorporating a bright palette, expansive compositions, and later, more figurative themes influenced by Abstract Expressionism.