The potential for renewal in the world of Ludwig von Hofmann becomes obvious in all his creative periods. The artist, born in Darmstadt in 1861, managed to capture the Zeitgeist in his paintings and graphic works for more than half a century. Thus Ludwig von Hofmann created an oeuvre of an ever new topicality. In this context, an exhibition of his works seems like a swift ride through the epochs of art history. Beginning with Symbolism and Art Noveau, Ludwig von Hofmann was part of the Berlin Art Nouveau circles, the local Secession art would soon play a key role in his art, before New Objectivity left traces in his work.
Despite this apparent heterogeneity, some unifying features can be found in the work of Ludwig von Hofmann, as man was always the dominant subject throughout all his styles. Additionally, his paintings can be identified by their sensual coloring and, just like the graphic art, by a both airy as well as poised duct. Celebrated in the late 19th century, the latest reception of his works would only take place some hundred years later, of which a large Ludwig von Hofmann retrospective in the Darmstadt Mathildenhöhe in 2005 is proof.