Wlastimil Hofman

Polish and Czech artist and graphic artist. One of the most famous European painters, who left a legacy in the late Symbolism and the modern era.

Was born in Austro-Hungarian Prague (Karlin district), in the family of Czech Ferdinand Hoffman and Polish woman Teofila Terletskaya and was the youngest of six children.

Hofmann is a representative of large artists’ societies “Art” and “Young Poland”, Czech association “Manes”. The first Polish artist, who became a member of the Vienna Secession. In Poland, the merits of Wlastimil Hoffman were marked by the Gold Medal (1929), the Golden Cross (1933), The Order of Polonia Restituta (1937 and 1961), and the Czech Order of the White Lion (1948).

One of the art critics called Wlastimil Hoffman, a prominent representative of the late era of Polish Symbolism, “a painter of inner glow.”

The House of Hoffmann in Szklarska Poręba on the street of his name according to his will works as a mini museum for tourists and is open as a studio for artists.

Key ideas:

– One of the most talented students and certainly the most devoted follower of Polish Symbolist Jacek Malcevsky, created canvases, which are an excellent illustration of his own definition of himself – “the artist of thoughts and experiences.” At the same time, artistic creativity is perceived by the painter only as “service to God.”

– Forming his views on the role of art in the life of society, Hoffman put first the question of the national identity of the creator. He saturated both traditional religious, mystical, and fabulously fantastic paintings with elements of folk Polish art. In iconography, such as “Madonna”, “John the Baptist”, “Pietta”, etc., the characters are depicted in folk costumes, and in the surrounding landscapes you can recognize the artist’s native places. The master painted many pictures on folklore subjects, created stories from the life of peasants and mountaineers, rural children, and also ghouls.

– Hofmann’s leading principle in the formation of stories is descriptive, even if these are fantastic compositions and self-portraits (for example, “Self-Portrait with a Fairy”, 1920). To such a visualization formula, a lyrical component and accented color solutions of the image are always added. This feature is also evident in the numerous portraits of local residents and tourists.

– Being a passionate sports lover, especially the lover of football, the master devoted much time to this topic. The eye of the artist appreciated the human body in motion. He skillfully conveyed the charm of the sporting event, the joy of the winners and the sorrows of the losers in pictures.