German-born American artist Hans Richter (1888-1976) was responsible for pioneering several major areas of 20th-century art--both the Zurich and the Berlin phases of Dada, abstract cinema (in collaboration with Viking Eggeling), International Constructivism, and filmmaking. His presence exerted a significant influence on American art following World War II.

Hans Richter (Johann Siegfried Richter) was born in Berlin on April 6, 1888. Following a brief program in architecture at the University of Berlin in 1906, Richter attended the Hochschule für Bildende Kunst in Berlin and in Weimar in 1908 and 1909, respectively. His early commitment to the arts was interrupted by service in the German army between 1914 and 1916, at which point he was wounded on the Russian front and given his discharge.

Moving to Zurich, neutral capital and international haven for pacifists and war resisters, Richter encountered the Dadaists in 1916. Although his participation in the movement was limited, he did contribute to...