125 - HOFER, KARL

HOFER, KARL 1878 Karlsruhe–1955 Berlin Title: Waiting Women. Date: 1946. Technique: Oil on canvas. Mounting: Relined. Dimensions: 89.5 x 59 cm. Inscription: Monogrammed and dated lower left: CH (ligated) 46. Frame: Artisan frame. Provenance: - Private collection, Connecticut, USA (directly from the artist) - Ketterer Kunst, Munich, 207th auction, December 4, 1995, lot 45 - Private collection, Berlin Exhibition: - Ausstellungsräume des Westens, Berlin, 1946 Bibliography: - Wohlert, Karl Bernhard: Karl Hofer—Catalog Raisonné of Paintings, vol. 3, VAN HAM Art Publications, Cologne 2007, cat. no. 1941, ill. - Exhibition catalog: Karl Hofer, Galerie Hennig, Halle 1949 - Raum, Hermann: The Visual Arts of the Federal Republic of Germany and West Berlin, Leipzig 1977, p. 28 - Kunstpreis Jb., Jan. 5, 1996, p. 650. - This atmospheric portrait of a girl conveys an enraptured, calm, and meditative atmosphere - Created during the immediate postwar years in Berlin - A particularly beautiful depiction due to the finely tuned colors and contrasting color nuances The human figure is at the center 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 Academy of Fine Arts and became its director. “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 give 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: This lot is not suitable for parcel shipping. Transport is available only through a shipping company after consultation following the auction. Additional shipping insurance Shipping insurance up to a total invoice amount of 25,000 euros: max. 41.65 euros For a total invoice amount exceeding 25,000 euros: 1.8 per thousand Shipping to the U.S. by individual arrangement after the auction. #Karl Hofer #Expressionism #New Objectivity #Germany #Modern Art #1940s #Woman #Painting #Modern Art.