Karl Hofer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Karl Hofer
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Karl Hofer in a photograph by Hugo Erfurth (1929)
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| Born |
Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer
11 October 1878 |
| Died | 3 April 1955 (aged 76) |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Expressionism |
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Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer (born October 11, 1878, in Karlsruhe – died April 3, 1955, in Berlin) was an important German painter. He is known for his unique style, which is often linked to Expressionism. He also became the director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts.
Even though he was a leading Expressionist painter, Karl Hofer was never part of famous groups like "Die Brücke". His art was considered "degenerate art" by the Nazis, who tried to stop artists like him. However, after World War II, he was recognized again as one of Germany's top painters.
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Life of Karl Hofer
Karl Hofer was born in 1878. His father died when Karl was very young. Because his mother had to work, Karl lived with relatives and then in an orphanage for several years. When he was 14, he started an apprenticeship in a bookshop.
In 1897, Karl Hofer began studying painting at the Art Academy in Karlsruhe. People quickly saw his talent. He even received a scholarship to help him with his studies. He later became a student of the famous painter Hans Thoma. Hofer also traveled to Paris twice, which influenced his art.
In 1903, Karl Hofer married Mathilde Scheinberger. They had three sons, but one died very young. Mathilde came from a Jewish family, but she was not raised in the Jewish faith and later became Protestant.
A Swiss businessman named Theodor Reinhart supported Hofer's art for many years. This support allowed Karl and Mathilde to live in Rome. From 1908 to 1913, the Hofer family lived in Paris. There, Hofer was greatly influenced by artists like Paul Cézanne and Pablo Picasso. In 1913, they moved to Berlin.
Hofer's paintings were shown in exhibitions regularly from 1905 onwards. In 1913, he joined a new art group in Berlin called the "Freie Secession." He exhibited his work alongside other famous German Expressionist painters.
During the summer of 1914, while in France, the Hofers were caught by the start of First World War. They were held there because they were German citizens. Mathilde and their sons were allowed to return to Germany later that year. Hofer was released in 1917 and moved to Switzerland.
After the war ended, Hofer returned to Berlin in 1919. In 1920, he became a professor at the College of Fine Arts. He was recognized for his artistic skills and teaching. His unique painting style from the 1920s was later called "Magic Realism." His paintings were displayed in many museums.
Karl Hofer was against Nazism even before the Nazis came to power. In 1931, the Nazi press attacked him, falsely claiming he was Jewish. He wrote articles against Nazism, urging people to fight against their ideas.
When the Nazis took control in 1933, Hofer was labeled as a "representative of the decomposing liberal-Marxist-Jewish alliance." He was removed from his teaching job. Even though he disliked the Nazis, Hofer initially hoped his art would be accepted because he saw it as truly German. However, the Nazis condemned his work, along with other Expressionist painters, as "degenerate art."
In 1937, eight of Hofer's works were shown in the Nazi propaganda exhibition "Degenerate Art" in Munich. In 1938, he was removed from the Prussian Academy of Arts. Because his wife Mathilde was considered Jewish under Nazi laws, Hofer was threatened with being banned from selling his art. To protect himself, he divorced Mathilde in July 1938.
In November 1938, Hofer married Elisabeth Schmidt. She was considered "Aryan" by the Nazis. This allowed him to be reinstated and sell his art again in February 1939. Tragically, his former wife Mathilde was no longer protected after their divorce. She was later killed by the Nazis in the Auschwitz concentration camp in 1942.
In 1943, Hofer's art studio in Berlin was bombed and destroyed, along with many of his paintings. His home was also destroyed. His son Carlino was killed in 1947.
After World War II, Hofer helped rebuild the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. He became its director in 1945. He regained his artistic reputation in post-war Germany. He received many honors, including an honorary doctorate and important awards. Hofer also wrote two books about his life and art.
Karl Hofer passed away on April 3, 1955, at the age of 76. He believed that the difference between figurative (realistic) and abstract (non-realistic) painting was not important. He thought both styles had value. His ideas were very important for German painting after the war.
Works
Early work, 1898–1920
- 1901: Betende Kinder (Praying Children), Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Karlsruhe, Germany
- 1903: Karl und Thilde Hofer (Karl and Thilde Hofer), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany
- 1907: Drei Badende Jünglinge (Three Young Bathers), Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland
- 1911: Im Sturm (By Storm), Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland
- 1913: Selbstbildnis (Self Portrait), Oil on Canvas, Bavarian State Picture Collection, Munich, Germany
- 1913: Fahnenträger (Flagbearer), Oil on Canvas, Municipal Art Gallery, Mannheim, Germany
- 1914: Im Meersand (In the Sand), Oil on Canvas, State Art Gallery, Karlsruhe, Germany
- 1918: Bildnis Theodor Reinhart (Portrait of Theodor Reinhart), Oil on Canvas, Volkhart Brothers, Winterthur, Switzerland
Middle period, 1920–1933
- 1922: Maskerade oder Drei Masken (Masquerade or Three Masks), Oil on Canvas, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne, Germany
- 1922/1923: Freundinnen (Girlfriends), Oil on Canvas, Kunsthalle Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- 1924: Große Tischgesellschaft (Large Dinner Party), Oil on Canvas, The Winterthur Museum of Art, Winterthur, Switzerland
- 1924: Der Rufer (The Caller), Oil on Canvas, New Masters Gallery, Dresden, Germany
- 1925: Still life National Museum of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
- 1926: Zwei Freunde (Two Friends), Oil on Canvas, Städel, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- 1928: Großer Karneval (Big Carnival), Oil on Canvas, Bavarian State Picture Collection, Munich, Germany
- 1928: Yellow Dog Blues, Oil on Canvas, Private Collection
- 1930: Selbstbildnis mit Dämonen (Self Portrait with Demons), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany
Mature work, 1933–1945
- 1933: Gefangene (Prisoner), Oil on Canvas, Berlinische Galerie, Berlin, Germany
- 1935: Frühe Stunde (Early Hour), Oil on Canvas, Portland Art Museum, Portland, USA
- 1935: Turmbläser (Trumpeters), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Berlin, Germany
- 1936: Agnuzzo – Italienische Landschaft (Agnuzzo – Italian Landscape), Oil on Canvas, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit, USA
- 1937: Mann in Ruinen (Man in Ruins), Oil on Canvas, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Kassel, Kassel, Germany
- 1943: Die Schwarzen Zimmer (2. Fassung) (The Black Rooms, 2nd version), Oil on Canvas, Neue Nationalgalerie, Berlin, Germany
- 1944: Der Brief (The Letter), Oil on Canvas, Private Collection
- 1944: Schwarzmondnacht (Black Moon), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany
Late work, 1945–1955
- 1947: Höllenfahrt (Descent into Hell), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany
- 1947: Ruinennacht (Night of Ruin), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany
- 1948: Schwarzmond (2. Fassung)(Black Moon, 2nd version, Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate, Cologne, Germany
- 1950: Im Gestein (In Rock), Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Southern Germany
- 1951: Zwei Frauen (Doppelportrait), (Two Women) (Double Portrait), Oil on Cardboard, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany
- 1954: Zwei Masken (Two Masks), Oil on Canvas, Former Hofer Estate
- 1954: Drei Mädchen zwischen Leitern (Three Girls between Conductors), Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany
- 1954: Vater und Tochter (Father and Daughter), Oil on Canvas, Private Collection, Cologne, Germany
See also
In Spanish: Karl Hofer para niños
