Hans Hofmann

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Quotation, estimation and price of the artist Hans Hofmann

Price of a painting: 13,100 – 6,500,000 €.

Estimation of a drawing: 1,700 – 36 900 €.

Estimation of a print: 20 – 5,000 €.

If you would like to have a Hans Hofmann work appraised, our experts will take care of everything.

Cubist movement

Hans Hofmann was a German-American painter born on 21 March 1880 in Weisenbug, Bavaria, and died on 17 February 1966 in New York.

Hans Hofmann first worked for the Bavarian government, for which he studied science and engineering before turning exclusively to art. Hans Hofmann studied Pointillism and Impressionist painting at the Munich School of Art from 1898 onwards, before moving to Paris in 1904. He lived in the capital for 10 years and studied at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière and later at the Académie Colarossi. These years allowed him to perfect his knowledge of modern European art, notably by becoming Robert Delaunay’s pupil. He became friends with the main artists of the Cubist and Fauvist movements, including Henri Matisse, George Braque and Pablo Picasso. He then developed a very distinct style which he called orphism. Hans Hofmann returned to Germany in 1915 and opened an art school in Munich. The next few years were devoted to teaching until 1936. He alternated between Munich and summer courses at Berkeley University in California and the Art Student League in New York. He eventually opened his own school there and became a mentor to Helen Frankenthaler, Ray Eames and Allan Kaprow. He started painting again in 1937. Among his students were the painter Robert de Niro, from 1939, but also Anita de Caro, Bill Parker, Lee Krasner, Alfred Jensen and Nela Arias-Misson.

The “Push and pull”

Having remained very close to Robert Delaunay’s other assistants during his Parisian years, Hans Hofmann has an excellent knowledge of French painting. He synthesizes it with his “Push and Pull” theory: the rule of contrast of intensity, colour is considered in its gradation towards saturation. The associated colours are seen as attracting and repelling each other. Hans Hofmann stopped teaching in 1958 and devoted himself exclusively to painting until his death in 1966 at the age of 76. His work was presented at the Venice Biennale in 1960 and three years later the WOAgri in New York organised the exhibition “Hans Hofmann and His Students”, which featured works by former students of the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. He had an influence on the development of abstract expressionism, as it was he who introduced the third dimension into his paintings. For Hans Hofmann, painting has psychological meanings: painting is a reflection of our psyche. In his paintings, the abundance of colour wants to represent his hedonistic personality. His technique of dripping and swirling paint prefigures the work of his friend Jackson Pollock. Three years before his death, Hans Hofmann donated 47 of his canvases to the University of California at Berkeley, as well as funds to finance the creation of the university museum to house his works.

Recognising Hans Hofmann’s signature

Like many artists, Hans Hofmann did not sign all of his works. However, you will find below an example of the signatures to give you an idea. Variations of these signatures do exist, do not hesitate to contact one of our experts to formally authenticate a signature.

Appraise and sell a painting by Hans Hofmann

If you own a Hans Hofmann painting or any other sculpture, ask for a free estimate via our online form.

You will then be contacted by a member of our team of experts and auctioneers to give you an independent view of the market price of your painting. In the event of a sale, our specialists will also advise you on the various options available to sell your work at the best price.