125 - HOFER, KARL

HOFER, KARL 1878 Karlsruhe–1955 Berlin Title: Wartende Frauen. Date: 1946. Technique: Oil on canvas. Mounting: Relined. Measurement: 89.5 x 59 cm. Notation: Monogrammed and dated lower left: CH (ligated) 46. Frame: Craftsman's frame. Provenance: - Private collection Connecticut/USA (directly from the artist) - Ketterer Kunst, Munich, 207th auction, 4th December 1995, lot 45 - Private collection Berlin Exhibition: - Ausstellungsräume des Westens, Berlin 1946 Literature: - Wohlert, Karl Bernhard: Karl Hofer - Werkverzeichnis der Gemälde, vol. 3, VAN HAM Art Publications, Cologne 2007, cat. rais. no. 1941, ill. - Exhib. cat. Karl Hofer, Galerie Hennig, Halle 1949 - Raum, Hermann: Die bildende Kunst der BRD und Westberlins, Leipzig 1977, p. 28 - Kunstpreis Jb., 5.1.1996, p. 650. - The atmospheric portrait of a girl conveys an enraptured, calm and meditativ atmosphere - Created during the immediate post-war years in Berlin - Especially beautiful depiction due to the finely tuned colours and contrastive colour nuances The human figure is at the centre of Karl Hofer’s work. After completing his studies at the Karlsruhe Academy of Fine Arts, he spent extended periods in Rome and Paris, where he was particularly influenced by Cézanne and French Modernism. In 1919, he became a professor at the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. Positioned between Expressionism and New Objectivity, Hofer developed a distinctive visual language: His figures, which often appear melancholic and distant, are depicted in quiet, enigmatic situations. Hofer’s life and work were shaped by the profound upheavals of his time. He lived through both world wars; under the Nazis, his art was denounced as “degenerate,” and he was dismissed from his teaching position in 1933. After the war ended, Hofer returned to the Berlin art academy and took over its directorship. “Wartende Frauen” was created in 1946, immediately after World War II. Against a flat background dominated by shades of blue and brown, two women stand close together. The one in the foreground wears a white sleeveless top and a red skirt, over which a yellow cloak falls. She has thoughtfully raised one hand to her face—a gesture that underscores her wait-and-see attitude. Behind her stands a second woman in a green dress and a turquoise headscarf. Large, dark eyes and simplified, almost mask-like faces lend both women a quiet, introspective expression. Despite their physical proximity, they make no visible contact with one another. This combination of closeness and isolation is characteristic of Hofer’s figurative paintings. The subdued color palette is enlivened by bold shades of yellow, green, red, and blue. Against the backdrop of the year 1946, the motif of waiting takes on a particularly poignant quality. Without depicting a specific event, Hofer condenses uncertainty, loss, and hope into a timeless portrayal of humanity. Estimated shipping costs for this lot: The lot is unsuitable for parcel shipping. Transport only by shipping company after consultation following the auction. additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: max. 41.65 Euro over a total invoice amount of 25,000 Euros: 1.8 o/oo USA by individual arrangement after the auction. #Karl Hofer #Expressionism #New Objectivity #Germany #Modern Art #1940s #Woman #Painting #Modern Art.