Vlastislav Hofman (6 February 1884 – 28 August 1964) was an artist and architect who lived and worked first in the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
and later in Czechoslovakia. Though he was a painter, set designer, graphic artist, furniture designer, and author, Hofman is best known as an architect strongly influenced by
Cubism
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
.
Life
Born in
Jičín in
Bohemia
Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...
, Hofman studied architecture in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
from 1902 to 1907. He was otherwise self-taught in the arts. He was active in
avant garde
The avant-garde (; In 'advance guard' or 'vanguard', literally 'fore-guard') is a person or work that is experimental, radical, or unorthodox with respect to art, culture, or society.John Picchione, The New Avant-garde in Italy: Theoretical D ...
art movements in his homeland, and he associated with artists and writers of the time, including
Karel Čapek
Karel Čapek (; 9 January 1890 – 25 December 1938) was a Czech writer, playwright and critic. He has become best known for his science fiction, including his novel '' War with the Newts'' (1936) and play '' R.U.R.'' (''Rossum's Universal ...
. Hofman wrote many pieces on political subjects and the philosophy of art, especially for the journal ''Právo lidu'' ("People's Right"). His stage designs were mainly for the
Vinohrady Theatre (Divadlo na Vinohradich) in Prague. Hofman's design for director
Karel Hilar
Karel may refer to:
People
* Karel (given name)
* Karel (surname)
* Charles Karel Bouley, talk radio personality known on air as Karel
* Christiaan Karel Appel, Dutch painter
Business
* Karel Electronics, a Turkish electronics manufacturer
* ...
's 1926 production of ''
Hamlet
''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
'' was particularly notable.
[Anthony B. Dawson, ''Hamlet'', Manchester, Manchester University Press, 1997; p. 117.]
Gallery
File:Vlastislav Hofman - Graphic Design with Inverted Tree Motif - Google Art Project.jpg, Brush and watercolor drawing with inverted tree motif, 1911
File:Vlastislav Hofman - Design for a Box with Green and Yellow Squares on Black Ground - Google Art Project.jpg, Brush and watercolor design, 1911
File:Vlastislav Hofman - Design for a Box in Orange, Black, and Yellow (recto); Design for Box in Orange, Green, and Yellow... - Google Art Project.jpg, Brush and watercolor design, 1911
File:Vlastislav Hofman - Elevation Design for a Sitting Room with Sofa, Two Chairs, and Table - Google Art Project.jpg, Design for a sitting room with sofa, two chairs, and table, 1919
References
External links
Vlastislav Hofman on www.kosmas.czonline biography* Finding aid for
Vlastislav Hofman papers and drawings Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession No. 900189. The Vlastislav Hofman archive contains material from several stages in Hofman's career, and include an extensive collection of letters and postcards from prominent figures in the Czech avant-garde movement;
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofman, Vlatislav
Czechoslovak architects
Czechoslovak scenic designers
1884 births
1964 deaths
Cubist architects
People from Jičín
Czechoslovak painters