[2] In his paintings and prints of the 1930s and 40s, Pickhardt often depicted working-class city dwellers such as newsboys, butchers, and washerwomen.
In 1942 he was awarded the Shope Prize by the Society of American Etchers at the National Academy of Design.
[2] Carl Pickhardt's first “Free Form” paintings pioneered the use of the shaped canvas and called for a new pictorial structure without horizontal or vertical reference.
Like Hans Arp before him, Pickhardt derived pictorial structure from the physical character of the picture support itself.
Each painting may be revolved a turntable, appearing in any position around the axes fixing their centers to the wall.