Johann Knüpfer (1866–1910)[1] was a schizophrenic outsider artist and one of the "schizophrenic masters" profiled by Hans Prinzhorn in his field-defining work Artistry of the Mentally Ill. Knüpfer was a baker's apprentice for three years as a youth before moving to a large city where he worked in a cement factory and learned the trade of locksmithing.
It became evident that he had been having paranoiac delusions for years, and visions in which Christ explained why he was being persecuted.
His works can be divided into two categories, the formal religious images covered with oracular inscriptions and the paintings of memories from his youth.
Knüpfer believes he is a martyr, making religion the main theme of his work.
Johann Knüpfer also produced drawings on the theme of childhood, in which birds play a prominent role.