Hans Hofmann's Role in Abstract Expressionism

Hans Hofmann did much to progress the arts in the United States, teaching generations of American artists and heavily aiding in the development of Abstract Expressionism. A transplant from his native Germany, Hofmann traveled to the United States as a mature artist and brought with him a deep understanding of the European Avant-Garde that he mixed with artistic endeavors of the Post-Second World War era to create a distinctly American brand of visual artistic expression.

Hans Hofmann was born in Bavaria in 1880 and raised and educated in Munich. While he initially studied science and mathematics, Hofmann felt a calling to the arts and moved to Paris in 1904, taking art classes at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere in the same class as Henri Matisse. This Parisian atmosphere of intense creation greatly influenced his later work, having been exposed to the great innovators of the era such as Picasso, Braque and Matisse. Fortunately missing conscription into the Great War because of an illness, Hofmann began teaching art in Munich, drawing an international reputation of high esteem because of his vast knowledge of Avant-Garde theory and composition.

Traveling to the United States to teach art at UC Berkeley in 1930 and settled permanently in the US after the Nazi party swallowed up Germany in 1933. Settling in New York, the already internationally known artist began to teach at his own school, having already had a number of solo exhibitions in Europe and the United States. While in New York Hofmann encountered the great American painters of the day, including Jackson Pollock who he met in 1942. Despite of an initial dislike for the artist, they became close and influenced each other’s work greatly.

During the mid to late 1940’s Hofmann discovered the style he is now most famous for, namely bold blocks of color abstractly composed in a usually rectangular form. These blocks, composed of brilliant fauvist color, express the artist’s “rigorous concern with pictorial structure, spatial illusion and color relationships” (Goodman). His paintings are internationally coveted and are contained within the world’s great collections including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Met, the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has had the good fortune of appraising pieces by Hofmann (above) and his contemporaries. As a research-oriented appraisal office, MIR is staffed with appraisers and researchers with a wide array of specialties and are as competent appraising an Abstract Expressionist oil painting as they are a portrait miniature or a diamond ring. We welcome you to explore our website and encourage you to call us with any questions you may have about our services. We are located on Chicago's Michigan Avenue, and we encourage you to schedule an appointment to visit our office and appraisal staff.

Researched and written by Justin Bergquist

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works Cited:
Goodman, Cynthia. “Hans Hofmann” on Oxford Art Online.
Hanshofmann.org/biography

Artist Profile: From Norway to Chicago, Svend Svendsen's take on the American Landscape

Svend Rasmussen Svendsen was a master artist in capturing elements in nature which would coexist perfectly with one another. The term seeing through the eyes of an artist is a statement that perfectly describes ones thoughts while looking at a painting by Svend Svendsen.

Born in Norway in 1864, Svendsen studied with the very prominent Norwegian artists Fritz Thaulow and Edward Ertz. Together they were able to incorporate a style which were influenced by the Barbizon school and French Impressionist, but were also unique to their Nordic background. Svendsen's approach to painting was more luminescent than the Barbizon school, while being more naturalistic than the Impressionists. While studying with Ertz, Svendsen painted this summer landscape, recently at auction, titled "The Stone Bridge," atypical to his common nocturnal snow scenes:

Svendsen emigrated to Chicago at the age of 17 in 1894. In Chicago, Svendsen was instantly recognized as a talented artist. Between 1895 and 1920, Svendsen frequently exhibited works at the Art Institute of Chicago. Svendsens incredible talent was highlighted when his painting won the Art Institutes Fortnightly prize, which was an annual award given to the best work by a young artist. He would go on to win prizes at the Nashville exposition of 1897 and St. Louis exposition of 1904. He also held one man exhibitions at some of Chicago's most prestigious galleries. These successful exhibitions laid the foundation to Svendsen's distinguished career.

Svendsen's beautiful landscapes are what sets him apart from other artists. He had the incredible ability to capture the pure essence of the natural world with his plein air style. While the elements of his paintings are rendered very realistically, he would often use light to romanticize the landscape. Whether is was the suns rays illuminating his landscapes with a complex array of colors and reflections. Or one of his calm and tranquil pastoral landscapes set in a idealized setting, the dimly lit cabin in the woods exhibiting nature and human beings coexisting perfectly.

Svendsen was also a master at leading your eye on a journey through his works. Like a maestro to his symphony, Svendsen directs you through a work in the way he perceives it. Sometimes it would be a winding stream journeying you through an entire work, capturing every little detail along the way. Or a straight path, leading you through a peaceful collection of cottages blending in with their surroundings. Svendsen understood the importance of creating these moods in his works.

Today, Svendsen's works are displayed throughout the country in institutions such as the National Museum of American Art at the Smithsonian. Svendsen's works are mostly concentrated in the Midwest, particularly in Chicago, often times coming up at auction or sold in galleries. Additionally, MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has researched and appraised several Svendsen works over the years and has facilitated the sale of such pieces in the past. The affordability of his work opens up his appeal to a wide range of collectors. No matter if you are a novice collector or seasoned veteran, a Svend Svendsen painting would look great on any wall.

Researched and written by Robert Snell

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 814-8510

Works cited:
Askart.com Svend Svendsen http://www.askart.com/askart/s/svend_rasmussen_svendsen/svend_rasmussen_svendsen.aspx
http://finearts.luther.edu/ artists/svendsen.html

Edouard Cortes: Master Parisian Streetscape Painter

Few artists could paint such a compelling Parisian street scent as Edouard Cortes. Painting from the turn of the century well into the mid 20th century, Cortes witnessed great changes in Paris through the Belle Epoque, the Great War, the international depression, the Second World War and beyond. Much of what Monet did with haystacks, lily ponds and fields in Giverny; Edouard Cortes did for the grand city of Paris. Capturing the changes in light, atmosphere, season and mood; Cortes was internationally known in his day and remains so today, one of the best examples of street-scene painters to have ever graced the Champs-Elysees.

Cortes came from a long line of artisans; the son of a Spanish Court painter and grandson of an artisan, Edouard was immersed in an art-heavy environment early in life, leaving a deep impression on the artist. Edouard’s father originally traveled to Paris from Spain for the Exposition Universelle in 1855, eventually settling permanently in Lagny-sur-Marne (Rehs). Schooled in painting by his father and enrolled in private schools from his birth, Edouard rose above his siblings in his ability in and passion for the visual arts, eventually exhibiting his first work, titled La Labour, at the Societe des Artistes Francais (Rehs). This early success set Cortes on his path to popularity in Paris, the city he would paint for the next 60 years until his death in 1969.

Cortes managed to capture all of the landscapes of Paris in new and interesting manifestations, representing the sights in ways only the Parisians would be familiar with during their regular strolls through the city. Landmarks such as Notre Dame, the Place de Clichy, the Opera, the Quai du Louvre and the Place de la Bastille are rendered during different times of the day, under unique weather conditions and from a multitude of angles, Cortes’ work stands as a testament to the visual variety of a single place. The sale of street paintings is commonplace on European city corners today but the vast majority pale in comparison to those of Edouard Cortes.

Interesting insight into the artist’s work and collectability comes from a recent Antiques Roadshow episode recently aired on PBS and captured in an online transcript. While in Michigan a guest brought a Cortes painting after hearing the name on a previous program. The guest explained to appraiser Alasdair Nichol that the painting had been owned by her grandparents, both artists, who traveled to Paris frequently. Noting that paintings of Cortes are frequently forged because of their near-universal appeal and high value the appraiser noted that one secret to detecting a genuine Cortes painting is locating a pin mark in the middle of the painting that the artist had originally placed there as a point of origin for the perspective.

Spotting this and noting the fine quality of the work, the appraiser was convinced that the work was genuine and stated that at auction the painting could fetch anywhere from $30,000 to $50,000 (Nichol). Flabbergasted, the guest broke down into tears of joy, astounded by the value of this beautiful painting.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. has been fortunate enough to have appraised works by this artist and enjoys inviting art collectors and owners alike to their Michigan Avenue office for a consultation session. A skilled team of appraisers and researchers on staff welcomes your questions and concerns and urges you to make an appointment to stop by our office to discuss your item. You never know what you have in your collection until you get your work properly appraised, and MIR is a great place to get that done!

Written and Researched by Justin Bergquist

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.
Principal Appraiser: Farhad Radfar, ISA, AM
307 N. Michigan Avenue, Suite 308
Chicago, IL 60601
(312) 814-8510

Works Cited:
Nichol, Alasdair. “1959 Edouard Cortes Painting,” on Antiques Roadshow website.
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/200805A14.html
Rehs, Howard. “Edouard Leon Cortes,” on Artrenewal.org
http://www.artrenewal.org/pages/artist.php?artistid=190