Ludwig von Hofmann

Ludwig von Hofmann (1861–1945), German, Ludwig von Hofmann, a distinguished German painter, graphic artist, and designer, was born on August 17, 1861, in Darmstadt, and passed away on August 23, 1945, in Pillnitz near Dresden. His artistic journey spanned over six decades, during which he masterfully blended elements of Symbolism and Art Nouveau, while also drawing inspiration from a spectrum of artistic movements from Historicism to New Objectivity. Hofmann was a pivotal figure in the Neues Weimar movement.
Born into a prominent family, his father, Karl Hofmann, was a Prussian statesman, and his uncles, Rudolf and Heinrich Ferdinand Hofmann, were renowned painters. Hofmann's formal art education began at the Academy of Fine Arts in Dresden in 1883, followed by studies under Ferdinand Keller at the Karlsruhe Art Academy. His artistic horizons expanded during his time at the Académie Julian in Paris in 1889, where he was influenced by French artists like Pierre Puvis de Chavannes and Paul-Albert Besnard. Hofmann's career flourished in Berlin from 1890, where he joined the influential 'Group of Eleven' alongside Max Klinger and Max Liebermann. His travels to Rome and stays at his villa in Fiesole between 1894 and 1900 deeply influenced his work, imbuing it with a timeless Arcadian ideal. Hofmann's contributions to the Jugendstil magazine 'Pan' and his membership in the Berlin Secession from 1898 underscored his significant role in the art world. His marriage to Eleonore Kekulé von Stradonitz in 1899 linked him further to the cultural elite, and his appointment as a professor in 1903 marked another milestone in his illustrious career.