2003.11.40
untitled (Cycle of Man)
Artist
Hans Hofmann
(Germany, 1880 – 1966)
Title
untitled (Cycle of Man)
Creation Date
1944
Century
mid-20th century
Dimensions
28 1/2 in. x 22 1/2 in. (72.39 cm x 57.15 cm)
Object Type
watercolor
Creation Place
North America, United States
Medium and Support
watercolor on paper
Credit Line
Bequest of William H. Alexander, in memory of his uncle, Charles D. Frazer
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2003.11.40
This watercolor dates to the year of Hans Hofmann’s first New York solo show, when he was 64 years old. He was a well-known teacher--he ran art schools in his native Germany (until 1933), in New York, and Provincetown--and an influential contributor to the rise of Abstract Expressionism. Hofmann helped to connect Parisian and New York art circles. He encouraged generations of artists to free color and form from the corset of representation. He also nurtured the ambitions of budding collectors, such as William Alexander. Alexander, who met Hofmann in the 1940s and focused for many decades on collecting European and American artists endorsed by Hofmann.