Earl Hofmann (March 11, 1928 – September 29, 1992) was a painter, sculptor, educator. Hofmann was one of Baltimore's

realist artists Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to: In the arts *Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts Arts movements related to realism include: *American Realism * Classical Realism *Lite ...

, he was a significant part of the Baltimore art scene of the mid-20th century. Hofmann studied with and assisted Jacques Maroger at the

Maryland Institute College of Art The Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) is a Private university, private art school, art and design college in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1826 as the Maryland Institute for the Promotion of the Mechanic Arts, it is regarded as one of ...

Early life

Earl Francis Hofmann was born in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

on March 11, 1928. He started painting at 12 and continued to develop his interest in art throughout his teenage years. Hofmann graduated Forest Park High School. After serving in the Marines he attended

where he studied and assisted Jacques Maroger until Maroger's death.

Art career

In 1961, he and a group of Baltimore painters founded the Maroger Group and the Six Realists. Earl Hofmann was a respected teacher at Boys Latin School, the

Baltimore County Public Schools Baltimore County Public Schools is the school district in charge of all public schools in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is the 25th largest school system in the US as of 2013. The school system is managed by the board of educatio ...

, Charles County Community College,

St. Mary's College of Maryland St. Mary's College of Maryland (SMCM) is a Public college, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in St. Mary's City, Maryland.Maryland State Archives, Online Manual, "St. Mary's College Of Maryland: Origin & Fun ...

, and private classes. Hofmann painted and exhibited portraits, street scenes, still life, liturgical images, fantasy scenes, and murals, for individuals, commercial enterprises, churches, courthouses, and schools. The painting, "Jean Betty" is in the St. Mary's County Governmental Center.

Major works

A mural featuring Historic Saint Mary's City in a timeline from the early 17th century to the late 20th century is part of a Smithsonian collection in the St. Mary's City Visitor Center. Murals and paintings by Earl Hofmann are on display in many places in Baltimore such as, Mercy Medical Center, St. Ignatius Church, St. Joseph Monastery, and the Basilica of Assumption.

Education career

Hofmann taught for many years at the

. Then he moved to Southern Maryland and from 1970s to the early 1990s, he taught at the

Public Honors College in Saint Mary's City, Maryland and continued painting, drawing and sculpting.

Awards

Earl Hofmann won many art awards and became part of the

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

art scene at a young age. He won an award and representation at the

Grand Central Art Galleries The Grand Central Art Galleries were the exhibition and administrative space of the nonprofit Painters and Sculptors Gallery Association, an artists' cooperative established in 1922 by Walter Leighton Clark together with John Singer Sargent, Edm ...

in 1951 in a juried competition which was judged by

Edward Hopper Edward Hopper (July 22, 1882 – May 15, 1967) was an American realism painter and printmaker. He is one of America's most renowned artists and known for his skill in depicting modern American life and landscapes. Born in Nyack, New York, to a ...

. Hofmann informally studied with and assisted Reginald Marsh during the early 1950s. He was a frequent exhibitor at the

Peale Museum The Peale is a community museum in Baltimore, Maryland, which opened in 2022 after a 5-year renovation. It occupies the first building in the Americas, Western Hemisphere to be designed and built specifically as a museum. Rembrandt Peale's ori ...

in Baltimore, the

Corcoran Gallery of Art The Corcoran Gallery of Art is a former art museum in Washington, D.C., that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University. Founded in 1869 by philanthropist William Wilson Corco ...

Biennial, the Venice Biennial, the Guggenheim Traveling Exhibition, the Butler Institute of American Art, and the International Institute of Arts and Letters.

Personal life

Earl Hofmann married Jean Nordstrom in 1949, and had four children in

. They lived in Bolton Hill, a neighborhood that included the

and many other artist residents. The family moved to St. Mary's County, in Southern Maryland when Hofmann was appointed artist-in-residence at

in 1971. Earl and Jean Hofmann lived in a house and studio they built in Hollywood, Maryland, not far from

Leonardtown, Maryland Leonardtown is a town in and the county seat of St. Mary's County, Maryland, St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States. The population was 4,563 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Historic Leonardtown includes both a Leonardtown Hig ...

. In 1992, the Hofmann family started a company called Pontifex Inc., which prepared and sold Earl Hofmann's formula of the Maroger Italian Medium. Hofmann died of

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

on September 29, 1992, at St. Mary's Hospital in Leonardtown, St. Mary's County, Maryland.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hofmann, Earl 1928 births 1992 deaths Maryland Institute College of Art alumni Artists from Baltimore St. Mary's College of Maryland faculty Deaths from lung cancer in Maryland