Karl Hoffmann (painter, 1893)

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Karl Hoffmann (born February 4, 1893 in Vienna ; † June 13, 1972 ibid) was a Viennese painter from the interwar period .

life and work

In his first creative period Hoffmann was a realist . Large-figured representations in restrained colors characterize his early work. In the 1940s, light and color became more important. His main themes are now Viennese city ​​vedutas , landscapes and women's bodies in dance movement. If one wants to classify him stylistically in this period, mood impressionism would be suitable. His graphic works are outstanding.

Among the portraits are very interesting self-portraits , the last one was made two years before his death. The clothed and unclothed female body in the play of light and shadow is a main motif. He captured Viennese worlds such as the Vienna Prater , the circus, the coffee house garden, the Schönbrunn zoo and the Vienna ice skating club in his pictures.

In his studio on Getreidemarkt , Karl Hoffmann ran the last private painting school in Vienna. It was there that moving nudes were drawn for the first time with musical accompaniment. For fifty years, art students made pilgrimages to Hoffmann's school to prepare for admission to the Academy of Fine Arts .

The studio was on the top floor of an old Viennese house near the Naschmarkt and offered a beautiful view of the Academy of Fine Arts, the golden dome of the Secession and the Karlskirche in the background. The studio was reminiscent of the Parisian bohemian style in its colorful disorder of easels, leafy plants, fruit and flowers for still lifes and other things. Hoffmann's models were always dancers. When the old gramophone started playing, the model danced to the music. If a position particularly pleased the master, he gave the 'stop sign' and the trained model held this often difficult position for ten minutes. The music continued and helped the drawing students to use pencils fluently. The evening act on Friday was a fixed date for artists and amateurs for decades. It was the master's personality that gave the school its special touch.

Exhibitions

In the twenties Karl Hoffmann was a member of the Viennese artists' association 'Segantini' and took part in the annual exhibitions, which mostly took place in the rooms of the New Hofburg. On November 29, 1936, the well-known art critic Arthur Roessler wrote about the autumn exhibition in 1936 in the 'Wiener Neuesten Nachrichten': “As a draftsman with a confident form and a brightly colored realist, who can effectively match a picture, regardless of whether it is a portrait or a still life, to well-studied light-subtle shades Karl Hoffmann. "

After the “Anschluss” in 1938, the members of the Segantini Association, the Hagenbund and some smaller artists' associations were brought together in the “Association of Visual Artists - Wiener Kunsthalle”. Hoffmann remained a member of this community until his death and took part in all of its exhibitions. These took place twice a year in the Zedlitzhalle in the first district. On November 5, 1944, the Zedlitzhalle was destroyed by bombs. In spring 1948, after the reconstruction, it was possible to exhibit there again and Hoffmann was represented at all subsequent presentations.

The first collective Karl Hoffmann took place as part of the autumn exhibition in the Zedlitzhalle (November 12 to December 4, 1949). On this occasion, the artist received the “Golden Medal for Painting” from Mayor Theodor Körner .

In 1961 the Zedlitzhalle was demolished; The community was able to exhibit in the Künstlerhaus for many years. Hoffmann also worked a lot in Italy and also organized exhibitions in Asolo and Verona. In November 1964 Hoffmann again had a collective. At the spring exhibition in 1972 in the Künstlerhaus (May 31 to June 22) Hoffmann received the "Prize for Graphics". But, already seriously ill, he could no longer be present. He died on June 13, 1972. From 1973 to 2007, nine memorial exhibitions took place, the last in the Mariahilf district museum (September 16 to September 30, 2007)

Works in museums and public collections

There are many pictures and drawings in private collections. A rich estate is in the possession of its administrator.

literature

  • Ilse Hammerschmied: Karl Hoffmann - painter of dancing colors , with catalog raisonné. Austrian art and culture publisher. Vienna, 2005. ISBN 3854372736
  • Heinz Schöny: Karl Hoffmann, a Viennese painter . In Austria. Illustrated magazine for culture, economy, export, tourism, issue 10/12, Vienna: 1948.
  • Heinz Schöny: Romako risen again? In Austria. Illustrated magazine f. Culture, economy, export, tourism, issue 8/9, Vienna: 1949

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ http://www.vbkoe.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/VBKOE_BESTANDSVERZEICHNIS.pdf .
personal data
SURNAME Hoffmann, Karl
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Austrian painter
DATE OF BIRTH February 4, 1893
PLACE OF BIRTH Vienna
DATE OF DEATH June 13, 1972
Place of death Vienna