Community hub
Recent from talks
Knowledge base stats:
Talk channels stats:
Members stats:
Karl Hofer
Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer or Carl Hofer (11 October 1878 – 3 April 1955) was a German expressionist painter. He was director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts.
One of the most prominent painters of expressionism, he never was a member of one of the expressionist groups, like "Die Brücke", but was influenced by their artists. His work was among those considered degenerate art by the Nazis, but after World War II he regained recognition as one of the leading German painters.
Hofer was born in 1878 in Karlsruhe. Four weeks after his birth, his father, the military musician Karl Friedrich Hofer, died of a lung disease. Since his mother Ottilie had to earn a living, Karl was housed in 1879 with two great aunts, before he went to live in an orphanage (1884-1892). At the age of 14 Karl began a bookshop apprenticeship, which he completed three years later. In 1896 he met the three years younger German philosopher Leopold Ziegler.
In 1897 Hofer began studying painting at the Art Academy of Karlsruhe. His talent was recognized early, he received a scholarship from the fund of the Grand Duke of Baden. After the appointment of the painter Hans Thoma to the Karlsruhe Academy of Art, in 1899, Hofer became his pupil. In the same year he had his first stay in Paris. In the year of his second stay in Paris in 1900 he made the acquaintance of Julius Meier-Graefe. Hofer became a student of Thoma in 1901 and a year later a student of the painter Leopold von Kalckreuth at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. During this time he began his friendship with the sculptor Hermann Haller.
In 1903, Karl Hofer and Mathilde Scheinberger married in Vienna. Mathilde belonged to a Jewish family, but was not educated in the Jewish faith and later joined the Protestant church. The couple had three sons, Karl Johannes Arnold, called Carlino, born in 1904, Titus Wolfgang, born in 1905, who died in 1906, and Hans-Rudi, born in 1911.
In 1902 Hofer concluded a five-year contract with the Swiss entrepreneur and patron Theodor Reinhart, in which it was agreed a regular support. In return, Reinhart received each year at first three and later four paintings by Hofer. The contract was later extended by five years until 1913. Reinhart's scholarship enabled Karl and Mathilde to move to Rome. From 1908 to 1913 the Hofer family lived in Paris, and in 1913 they moved to Berlin. During his residence in Paris, he was very influenced by Paul Cézanne and by Pablo Picasso, specially his early period.
Since 1905, Hofer's paintings had been regularly shown at exhibitions. In 1908 he was represented at the exhibition of the "Berlin Secession", founded by Max Liebermann. In Berlin, Hofer became a member of the new "Freie Secession" in 1913 and was represented at its first exhibition in 1914, together with Max Liebermann, and German Expressionist painters Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Pechstein and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Hofer traveled to India in 1910 and 1911. During the summer of 1914, during a stay in the French seaside resort of Ambleteuse, the Hofers were surprised by the outbreak of World War I and were interned because of their citizenship. Mathilde and the sons were eventually allowed to return to Germany at the end of 1914. Hofer was dismissed by the mediation of Reinhart in 1917, and moved to Switzerland, first to Churwalden, then to Zürich.
After the end of the war, Hofer returned to his family in Berlin, in 1919. In 1920 he was appointed to the College of Fine Arts in Charlottenburg, and in 1921 he was appointed professor. The College of Fine Arts was merged in 1924 with the Arts and Crafts Museum to form the United State Schools of Free and Applied Arts. In recognition for his services as an artist and as a professor, Hofer was admitted to the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1923. Between the art movements of the twenties, Hofer represented his own style, which was later referred to as "Magic Realism". Hofer's paintings were represented in many museums. In 1928 he was invited to the International Art Exhibition of the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.
Hub AI
Karl Hofer AI simulator
(@Karl Hofer_simulator)
Karl Hofer
Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer or Carl Hofer (11 October 1878 – 3 April 1955) was a German expressionist painter. He was director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts.
One of the most prominent painters of expressionism, he never was a member of one of the expressionist groups, like "Die Brücke", but was influenced by their artists. His work was among those considered degenerate art by the Nazis, but after World War II he regained recognition as one of the leading German painters.
Hofer was born in 1878 in Karlsruhe. Four weeks after his birth, his father, the military musician Karl Friedrich Hofer, died of a lung disease. Since his mother Ottilie had to earn a living, Karl was housed in 1879 with two great aunts, before he went to live in an orphanage (1884-1892). At the age of 14 Karl began a bookshop apprenticeship, which he completed three years later. In 1896 he met the three years younger German philosopher Leopold Ziegler.
In 1897 Hofer began studying painting at the Art Academy of Karlsruhe. His talent was recognized early, he received a scholarship from the fund of the Grand Duke of Baden. After the appointment of the painter Hans Thoma to the Karlsruhe Academy of Art, in 1899, Hofer became his pupil. In the same year he had his first stay in Paris. In the year of his second stay in Paris in 1900 he made the acquaintance of Julius Meier-Graefe. Hofer became a student of Thoma in 1901 and a year later a student of the painter Leopold von Kalckreuth at the State Academy of Fine Arts in Stuttgart. During this time he began his friendship with the sculptor Hermann Haller.
In 1903, Karl Hofer and Mathilde Scheinberger married in Vienna. Mathilde belonged to a Jewish family, but was not educated in the Jewish faith and later joined the Protestant church. The couple had three sons, Karl Johannes Arnold, called Carlino, born in 1904, Titus Wolfgang, born in 1905, who died in 1906, and Hans-Rudi, born in 1911.
In 1902 Hofer concluded a five-year contract with the Swiss entrepreneur and patron Theodor Reinhart, in which it was agreed a regular support. In return, Reinhart received each year at first three and later four paintings by Hofer. The contract was later extended by five years until 1913. Reinhart's scholarship enabled Karl and Mathilde to move to Rome. From 1908 to 1913 the Hofer family lived in Paris, and in 1913 they moved to Berlin. During his residence in Paris, he was very influenced by Paul Cézanne and by Pablo Picasso, specially his early period.
Since 1905, Hofer's paintings had been regularly shown at exhibitions. In 1908 he was represented at the exhibition of the "Berlin Secession", founded by Max Liebermann. In Berlin, Hofer became a member of the new "Freie Secession" in 1913 and was represented at its first exhibition in 1914, together with Max Liebermann, and German Expressionist painters Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Max Pechstein and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Hofer traveled to India in 1910 and 1911. During the summer of 1914, during a stay in the French seaside resort of Ambleteuse, the Hofers were surprised by the outbreak of World War I and were interned because of their citizenship. Mathilde and the sons were eventually allowed to return to Germany at the end of 1914. Hofer was dismissed by the mediation of Reinhart in 1917, and moved to Switzerland, first to Churwalden, then to Zürich.
After the end of the war, Hofer returned to his family in Berlin, in 1919. In 1920 he was appointed to the College of Fine Arts in Charlottenburg, and in 1921 he was appointed professor. The College of Fine Arts was merged in 1924 with the Arts and Crafts Museum to form the United State Schools of Free and Applied Arts. In recognition for his services as an artist and as a professor, Hofer was admitted to the Prussian Academy of Arts in 1923. Between the art movements of the twenties, Hofer represented his own style, which was later referred to as "Magic Realism". Hofer's paintings were represented in many museums. In 1928 he was invited to the International Art Exhibition of the Carnegie Institute in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the United States.