Vlastimil Hofman (1881-1970), Vlastimil Hofman (1881-1970) Allegory of old age - 1919

Oil on cardboard 49.5 × 70 cm

Hofman was born in Prague to a Czech father and a Polish mother. The family moved to Kraków in 1889. From 1896 he studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow, then from 1899 to 1901 in Paris at the École des Beaux-Arts. When the war began, Hofman moved to Prague and later lived in Paris before returning to Kraków in 1921. Around 1921 his name changed from Hofmann to Hofman. He is a representative of symbolism and primarily created religious and mythological scenes in rural surroundings.

A half-length portrait of an old woman occupies the foreground. She has put her hands on her cane. Although her face is marked by age, it radiates spiritual strength. Her eyes are half-closed, seeming to look more internally than at the outside world. Maybe she will reflect on her life in the twilight of her life. A lavender-colored scarf lies over her head and shows her gray hair above her forehead. A young, blonde woman with a pale complexion appears behind her on the right, her hand on her chest. She tilts her head slightly, looks down and expresses pity with her mouth open. On her head she wears a wreath of white and red roses with thorns. The wreath perhaps symbolizes the joys and pains of love. The left half of the picture is a view of a village in autumn. The season obviously refers to the autumn of life. At the bottom left you can see a young woman and a man dressed in black in civilian clothes. They are slightly turned towards each other, but their relationship to each other is unclear. There seems to be an indefinable tension between them. Behind them you can see two satyrs on the wall. They represent the animal forces of nature and perhaps reflect the passion behind the bourgeois facade. Oil on cardboard 49.5 × 70 cm. Signed: Wlastimil Hofmann / 1909