Vlastislav Hofman

Vlastislav Hofman was an artist and architect who lived and worked first in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and later in Czechoslovakia. Though he was a painter, set designer, graphic artist, furniture designer, and author, Hofman is best known as an architect strongly influenced by Cubism.

Life

Born in Jičín in Bohemia, Hofman studied architecture in Prague from 1902 to 1907. He was otherwise self-taught in the arts. He was active in avant garde art movements in his homeland, and he associated with artists and writers of the time, including Karel Čapek. Hofman wrote many pieces on political subjects and the philosophy of art, especially for the journal Právo lidu. His stage designs were mainly for the Vinohrady Theatre in Prague. Hofman's design for director Karel Hilar's 1926 production of Hamlet was particularly notable.