Three Top US Art Critics Retire, Marking End of an Era

At the conclusion of 2025, Christopher Knight stepped down as the art critic for the Los Angeles Times, following Roberta Smith's retirement from The New York Times in 2024 and the passing of Peter Schjeldahl in 2022. Together, they represented the last of the three most significant US critics from the postmodern period. The full-time art critic roles in the US have sharply declined from approximately 30 in 2008 to fewer than 10 by 2013, with a potential future of none. Knight, Smith, and Schjeldahl each brought unique perspectives: Smith with her meticulous formal analysis, Schjeldahl with his passionate prose, and Knight with his focus on institutional critique. Knight received the Pulitzer Prize in 2020 for his evaluation of LACMA's redesign. His final column emphasized that the publishing industry, rather than criticism itself, is facing a crisis. The piece also discusses the ongoing challenges of diversity and the necessity for a more sustainable and equitable approach to art criticism.