The Life of Adolf Höfer
Adolf Höfer was a German painter, illustrator, and graphic artist born in Munich. The son of landscape painter Heinrich Höfer, he lost both parents during his childhood, being raised by his step-mother, Amalie. He pursued his formal education at the Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, studying under Ludwig Schmid-Reutte, Ludwig von Herterich, and Paul Hoecker. During his time at the academy, he became a member of the artists' association known as "Die Scholle".
His early professional career included work as a graphic artist for the magazine Jugend and the creation of various advertising materials and posters. In 1906, he decided to focus his efforts entirely on painting. To support himself, he taught at the Damenakademie, which allowed him to maintain a studio in Munich's Schwabing quarter. Following service as an Etappenoffizier in Flanders during World War I, he returned to a changed life, eventually living with his brother Wilhelm in Parsberg, where he continued to paint portraits and landscapes.
Artistic Legacy
Höfer's known artistic output consists of approximately sixty paintings, many of which are held in private collections. His work has been featured in exhibitions with the Munich Secession. Because he was inconsistent with his signatures, attribution of his works can be difficult. A catalogue raisonné of his work was compiled by Simone Brehmer in 2010.
