Wlastimil Hofman (1881 Prague - 1970 Szklarska Poreba), Portrait of a lady (Mrs. General), 1915.

oil, canvas, 80 × 65 cm
Signed and dated p. g.: "Vlastimil Hofmann/1915"
On the reverse, stamp of Ludvík Císarv's painting materials warehouse.


The featured painting is signed "Vlastimil Hofmann." Wlastimil Hofman's Czech name and German-sounding surname caused the artist a lot of problems and insinuations. As he said of himself, "My last name is German, my first name is Czech. I am neither German nor Czech. I am a Pole." In 1918, following a suggestion from his master, Jacek Malczewski, the artist polonized the spelling of his name from Vlastimil to Wlastimil, and removed one letter "n" from his surname. The artist's decision was also influenced by a situation he himself mentioned in his diary: "I now sign my name on my paintings with a 'W' and not a 'V'. I followed the advice of Karasek from licovice, with whom we were together in Prague, where architect Vlasti-slav Hofmann was exhibiting at an exhibition of Czech Expressionists, he signs "Vlast. H". and in a handwriting very similar to mine" (quoted by Elżbieta Wolniewicz-Mierzwińska, "Silhouette of Wlastimil Hofman in the light of his diary," in Art Bulletin, Warsaw 1979, no. 3, p. 269.)