Karl Hofer

Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer (* 11. October 1878 in Karlsruhe; † 3. April 1955 in Berlin) was a German painter of the expressionism.

He was a director of the citizens of Berlin university of the arts.

Table of contents

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artistic development

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early work

Hofer began its artistic career 1897 with a study at the Karlsruher academy of arts with Leopold of Kalckreuth and Hans Thoma. The first artistic influence the symbolism practiced on it out around 1900 (Odilon Redon, Arnold Böcklin, EDP pool of broadcasting corporations Munch). Substantially for the further development the Bekanntschft with Swiss buyer Theodor was pure hard, which supported Hofer starting from 1903 mäzenatisch and for which artist made possible the removal to Rome. The second personality important for Hofer in this phase was an art writer Julius Meier Graefe, which it already 1901 in Paris know had learned and which drew the attention of it to up to then the completely forgotten work of the GermanRoman artist Hans von Marées. Marées Fresken in the “Statione Zoologica” in Neapel it also later still regarded as the “only modern solution of a task of fresco since the Renaissance and antique one. “In Rome, where after Hofers view “the atmosphere of form prevailed”, the contents-heavy symbolistic influence and it evaporated were from now on occupied - like its large model Marées - with the form and color problems with the organization of the image plane. Marées was in exchange with its Mäzen and friend, who art theoretician Conrad fiddler on the traces of of the autonomous was demanded work of art, which wanted to throw any contentwise, narrativen ballast off, that in the official German art between 1850 and 1900, in particular in the history painting.

Hofer was coherently only five years in Rome, but remained the city the starting point of its artistic regulation. One can call the artist the last late classically oriented and idealistic German Romans (Böcklin , fire brook, Marées).

Already at the end of its Roman stay the strong influence of the formal elements and the neglect of the purely pictorial one appeared to it as danger. It settled 1908 - again encouraged by Meier Graefe - to Paris over, where it had already seen 1907 those in the autumn approximately 50 works comprehensive Cézanne retrospective. The works of the large French Neuerers Paul Cézanne, whose art finally opened the way in the Kubismus (Picasso, Braque), changed with sometimes the influence El Grecos also appearing again the painting Hofers.

it creates 1909 together with Wassily Kandinsky, Adolf Erbslöh, Alexej of Jawlensky, Gabriele lively, Marianne of Werefkin, Alexander Kanoldt, Vladimir von Bechtejeff and Alexander Kubin the new artist combination Munich, a predecessor of the blue rider.

Certainly pushed itself before this world with the outbreak of the First World War, like Hofer said, a “grey curtain, which became still darker with the second war. Who did not know the life before this time, does not know as beautifully, cheerfully and the existence also in modest conditions to be unencumbered could. “

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middle creative period and matures

the life for Hofer changed suddenly, when it was together arrested briefly with a summer stay in the French seaside resort Ambleteuse with Boulogne after outbreak of the First World War with other Germans and interned to 1917. To an intermediate stay in Switzerland it only 1919 returned to Germany. In Berlin a two-annual contract secured its existence with the art action Cassirer for the time being, after its faithful sponsor had deceased pure-hard in the same year. In this time meanwhile over forty-year old artists its unmistakable, expressiven style and the typical Farbpalette developed, e.g. in “Yellow Dog Blues” around 1924/25 (private property). At the same time he experienced its final artistic break-through, that in numerous national exhibitions (gallery Flechtheim Berlin, gallery Caspari Munich, urban arts center Mannheim), in addition, internationally to document leaves himself (Carnegie Institut Pittsburgh). From now on its painting accepted kassandrahafte, prophetische courses. “You are surprised”, wrote Hofer 1947 Hans Carsten Hager, “that in my work much Vorahnung of the coming are. The artist is evenly a seismograph, which ahead-registers the mischief. Not only with me is this feature ". Like Werner Heldt in the “marching-up of the zeros” (1933/34) he suspected the coming mischief and created magic metaphors, approximately into “the prisoners” from 1933 (Berlin, Berlini gallery), who brought up for discussion the Entwürdigung and Entindivualisierung of humans. In Germany a sudden end was set for its success as artists and university teachers, when it, professor was already relieved of the university of the arts in Berlin, 1933 of its office. The artistically heaviest stroke of fate however was the destruction nearly the entire early work and that the middle creative period in its citizen of Berlin studio with an allied bomb attack at the 1. March 1943: “, Then Hofer in its memories, “over thousand designs reports about one hundred fifty pictures” together with everything that bound me to my earlier existence, everything that could have illustrated these recordings, was there, up to the key, which I carried in the bag. ”

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late work

after the end of the Second World War was appointed Hofer in July 1945 as the director of the university of the arts in Berlin. In this time he dedicated himself above all also to the politico-cultural work. It was initial member of the culture federation, which had sat down the democratic renewal of Germany to the goal. Together with Oskar Nerlinger it published the magazine “screen end art” to 1949 and became 1950 president of the culture federation. The late Hofer felt nevertheless with its holding to the ideal of the people picture and the German tradition of the figurativen painting unverstanden. After the disaster of the third realm the internationalization and supremacy of the abstract art, which came to meet above all also a basic tendency began, to be able to dare i.e. with the illusion of the “hour of zero” a new start in Germany which excluded each abuse of the art for power purposes. The confrontation of Figuration and abstraction flowed finally 1950 in the so-called “Darmstädter discussion” on the Mathildenhöhe, in whose center in particular the theses of the art historian Hans Sedlmayr (“loss of the center”) became to represent the convictions of the representatives of abstraction on and such as Willi building master on the other one kämpferisch. In the year 1955 Grohmann - vehement advocate and promoter of the abstract art - was inflamed more publicly, polarize-mixes led controversy over the groundless/unnecessary art between Hofer and the art critic wants. While Hofer ranked the art critic among the “Panegyrikern” of the international abstract art, this accused to him to attack the art of the presence from a “almost puzzling Hasspsychose” out. Hofer planned actually a comprehensive written attack, which was already directed in the title against the communist manifesto of the abstract art absolutely, i.e. against Wassily Kandinskys 1912 for the first time and 1952 again in the edition writing appeared authorized by Nina Kandinsky “over the mental in the art”. Hofer did not experience however the appearance of its combat writing “over the legal in the forming art” no more, because in the same year 1955, on the high point of the argument, the artist suffered an impact accumulation, to which a little later he succumbed. A part of the writing was published posthum in drawn up form by briefly Martin 1956. The book remained however without important effect. Parts of the manuscript went down, and the entire still received fragment was sighted by Daniel Kupper on behalf Elizabeth Hofer Richolds in yard he archives and given change 1995 commentated. Together with of Christine the Fischer Defoy likewise 1995 published “speeches and statements” now the view of thinking and a work is permitted, that the development of the German painting in the first half 20. Century substantially affected and coined/shaped.

The meaning Hofers for the German painting of the post-war period lies in its persisting on the fact that the Antinomie of figurativer and abstract painting is unreasonable; it the “value distinction of gegenständlich and ungegenständlich appeared as a senseless absurdity”. The historical development had let German Romans become from the Hofer a “disillusioned idealists”: Straight one “the Insistenz in the Litanei of this personal style gave its unverrückbaren place in the German painting between the wars to Hofer. There were humans, who began with a circumscribed dream of beauty and a vision of the classical one; and then it was the impact the reality, which smashed this dream. “(Werner detention man) [the quotations are taken from the literature specified down]

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biographic time board

  • 1878 Hofer is born in Karlsruhe. Four weeks after its birth its father at a lung suffering dies
  • there 1879 its nut/mother Ottilie living costs to earn must, Karl with two large aunts is accommodated
  • 1884 - 1892 accommodation in an orphanage
  • 1892 beginning of a commercial theory in a bookshop. In his spare time first graphic attempts
  • 1896 Hofer learns to know three years the younger Leopold Ziegler
  • 1897 the artist steps at the Karlsruher academy into the indication class Robert Poetzelbergers one
  • 1899 after the appointment Hans Thomas becomes Hofer its pupils. First stay in of Paris
  • 1900 second Paris stay and acquaintance with Julius Meier Graefe
  • of 1901 sample pupils with Thoma
  • of 1902 sample pupils with Leopold v. Kalckreuth at the Stuttgart academy. Friendship with the painter Hermann Haller
  • 1903 wedding with Mathilde (towards. Thilde) Scheinberger in Vienna. Five-annual contract with Theodor pure-hard, that it the removal to Rome makes
  • 1904 for birth possible of the son Karl (towards. Carlino). In Berne acquaintance with Paul Klee
  • 1905 birth of the son Titus, the three months later dies
  • 1906 first single exhibition by Harry count Kessler in Weimar
  • 1907 first contact with Marées' Fresken in Neapel
  • 1908 third Paris stay. Since that time new signature: CH
  • 1909 first single exhibition in the citizens of Berlin gallery Fritz Gurlitt, initial member of the association new artist combination Munich
  • 1910 first India journey
  • 1911 Hofer learns the sculptor Wilhelm loam-bridges does know and remains friendly up to its death with it. Second India journey
  • 1914 Hofer spends the summer in the French bathing resort Ambleteuse. After outbreak of the First World War it in Brittany interns
  • 1917 the artist to Zurich to dismiss
  • 1918 with its friend Haller discovers Hofer in the Tessin its love for the landscape painting
  • 1919 removal to Berlin
  • 1920 Hofer receives a call as teachers at the united state schools for free and applied art, one year later the call than professor follows
  • 1923 member of the Prussian academy of the arts
  • 1934 dismissal than university teachers and work and exhibition prohibition by the Nazis
  • 1937 was Hofer with 8 works in the Nazi exhibition “degenerate art “in Munich represent
  • 1938 distance of 313 works Hofers from the public collections in Germany
  • 1943 Ausbombung and complete destruction of its studio in Berlin
  • 1945 reconstruction that University for screen end of arts in Berlin, director since 1949
  • 1947 its son Carlino with the attempt to place two burglars in a shoe store from these killed
  • 1948 Hofer receives the citizen of Berlin Humboldt university
  • 1950 first president the again-created German artist federation
  • 1952 medals Pour le Mérite for art and science. The auto+biographic book of pictures “from lives and art” appears
  • 1953 large Distinguished Service Cross of the Federal Republic of Germany. Its autobiography “memories of a painter” appears
  • 1955 outbreak of the publicly delivered controversy between Hofer and Grohmann over Figuration and abstraction. The controversy is the cause for Ernst Wilhelm Nay to withdraw Willi building master and Fritz winters from the artist federation. Hofer dies at the 3. April at the consequences of an impact accumulation
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of works

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early work of 1898-1920

  • praying children, 1901, Öl/Lwd., private property Karlsruhe
  • Karl and Thilde Hofer, 1903, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Berlin
  • three bathing young men, 1907, Öl/Lwd., art museum Winterthur
  • in the storm, 1911, Öl/Lwd., art museum Winterthur
  • Selbstbildnis, 1913, Öl/Lwd., Bavarian state painting States of Munich
  • color bearer, 1913, Öl/Lwd., urban arts center Mannheim
  • in the sea and, 1914, Öl/Lwd., national arts center Karlsruhe
  • portrait Theodor pure-hard, 1918, Öl/Lwd., people-hard Brothers Winterthur
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middle creative period 1920-1933

  • masquerade " or three masks, 1922, Öl/Lwd., Wallraf Richartz museum Cologne
  • friends, around 1922/23, Öl/Lwd., arts center Hamburg
  • large Tischgesellschaft, 1924, Öl/Lwd., art museum Winterthur
  • of large Karneval, 1928, Öl/Lwd., Bavarian state painting States of Munich
  • Yellow Dog Blues, 1928, Öl/Lwd., private property
  • Selbstbildnis with Dämonen, around 1930, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Berlin
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of hoar frost work 1933-1945

  • prisoners, 1933, Öl/Lwd., Berlini gallery Berlin
  • Turmbläser, 1935, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Berlin
  • Agnuzzo - Italian landscape, 1936, Öl/Lwd., The Detroit institutes OF kind Detroit
  • man in ruins, 1937, Öl/Lwd., national art collections Kassel
  • the black rooms (2. Version), 1943, Öl/Lwd., new national gallery Berlin
  • the letter, 1944, Öl/Lwd., private property
  • black moon night, 1944, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Cologne
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late work 1945-1955

  • hell travel, 1947, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Cologne
  • ruin night, 1947, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Cologne
  • black moon (2. Version), 1948, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Cologne
  • two masks, 1954, Öl/Lwd., ehem. Deduction Hofer Berlin
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honours

Berlin
Gedenktafel in Berlin beautiful mountain, Green forest route 44, here lived Hofer from 1913 to 1934
honour grave on the forest cemetery Berlin Dahlem, hut way, abbott 16 F 29.
Karlsruhe
designation of a vocational school in Karlsruhe after it: Carl yard he school
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literature

  • Hans Gerhard Evers (Hg.):Darmstädter discussion - the people picture in our time. Darmstadt 1951
  • Karl Hofer: Over the legal in the forming art. Hg. v. Briefly Martin. Berlin 1956
  • Karl Hofer: Memories of a painter. Munich 1963
  • Ernst Rathenau: Karl Hofer - the graphic work. Berlin 1969
  • Katherine Rigby: Karl Hofer. New York/London 1976
  • Elizabeth Furler (Hg.): Karl Hofer - lives and work in data and pictures. Frankfurt/a.M. 1978
  • Elizabeth yard he smelling old, Ursula and. Günther protects: Karl Hofer. Berlin 1983
  • Renate hardlive: Karl Hofer. Leipzig 1987
  • exhibition catalog: In Memoriam Grohmann wants - Wegbereiter of the modern trend. Stuttgart 1987/88
  • exhibition catalog: Abstraction and Figuration. Gallery Pels Leusden. Berlin 1989
  • Ursula and. Günther protects (Hg.): Karl Hofer - Theodor pure-hard. Painter and Mäzen. An exchange of letters in selection. Berlin 1989
  • Jürgen Schilling: Karl Hofer. Unna 1991
  • Christine Fischer Defoy (Hg.: Karl yard he company): I said my! - Speeches and statements of Karl Hofer to art, culture and politics in Germany 1945-1955. Berlin 1995
  • Daniel Kupper (Hg.): Karl Hofer - writings. Berlin 1995
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Web on the left of

  • {{#if: 
| | * Literature of and over Karl Hofer in the catalog of the DDB

}} Internet side over lives and work of the painter Karl Hofer:

a very instructive text of Roland strong over Hofer as Buchillustrator is under:


person data
NAME Hofer, Karl
ALTERNATIVE NAME Karl Christian Ludwig Hofer
SHORT DESCRIPTION of German painters of the expressionism
DATE OF BIRTH 10. November 1878
PLACE OF BIRTH Karlsruhe
DYING DATE 3. April 1955
DYING PLACE Berlin
 

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