Herbert Knapp was an American artist whose life was bookended by two transformative historical periods. Born in 1931 at the height of the great depression, he died of Covid-19 in the pandemic year of 2021.

He lived in the suburbs of Kansas City, the Panama Canal Zone, The Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts and the Upper West Side of Manhattan, painting many scenes from all of those locations- frequently the view outside his own window. He believed, along with other philosophers, that we approach God through beauty and therefore many of his paintings include images of flowers, a beauty of God’s creation. Frequently the paintings of flowers include women, for Herb loved women. He thought they were more interesting than men and did not try to establish power in a casual meeting the way many men do.

He believed that there is no greater bond than that between a mother and her child and many of his paintings demonstrate this belief showing the father in a supporting role. These paintings also reflect the manger scene with Mary, the babe, and Joseph, reflecting his Christian belief.

Nothing escaped his notice. Our visitors tell us that their favorite painting is that of a family watching the Simpsons on TV. For that reason, we have hung it permanently on the far wall. Other paintings will be rotated regularly.

Herb left us a rich legacy, for he was not only a painter, but a poet, a writer of fiction and a family memoir. His published works are for sale at the register.