Wlastimil Hofman (1881-1970), Portrait of a Man, 1935
Pencil drawing on paper
Handwritten signature with date: 27/XI 35, "Prague Czech Republic, Wlastimil Hofman".
Size: 15 × 9 cm (+ binding)
Condition: traces of time, patina, local discoloration of paper - all framed in a frame of light linen
Drawing made by Wlastimil Hofman in 1935 during his stay in Prague, Czech Republic. The unusually delicate, linear depiction of a male profile bears the hallmarks of psychological portraits, which Hofman executed in the spirit of realism, with a keen sense of the mood and character of the model. This work - modest in its means - exudes the warmth and serenity that often accompanied his sketches.
Wlastimil Hofman (1881, Prague - 1970, Szklarska Poreba) - painter,draughtsman, poet, one of the most interesting representatives of Symbolism in Polish art at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. He was born in Prague, but was associated with Cracow and Polish artistic life. A student of Jacek Malczewski and Jan Stanislawski at Krakow's Academy of Fine Arts, he also studied in Paris with Jean-Léon Gérôme.
He created religious, symbolic and folk paintings, often inspired by everyday life, faith and suffering. His style combined academic precision with lyricism and emotionality. During World War II he was in exile in Palestine, and upon his return settled in Szklarska Poreba, where he lived and created in his home - the so-called Wlastimilowka. His work was extremely popular among collectors and is still in demand today.
