hoffman

IPA/hˈɒfmən/
KK[hˈɔfmən]IPA/hˈɔːfmən/

hoffman — noun

1. Malvina Hoffman (1887–1966), an American sculptor best known for her life-sized

1.noun
Definition

Malvina Hoffman (1887–1966), an American sculptor best known for her life-sized bronze figures in 'The Races of Mankind', a series that shows people from many different ethnic backgrounds. She studied under the French sculptor Auguste Rodin and was one of the first women to build an international reputation as a sculptor.

Example

Dario studied Hoffman's collection at the Field Museum during his art history course.

proper noun: possessive form Hoffman's [work]

Hoffman spent two years travelling the world to study ethnic groups for her sculptures.

subject: Hoffman [traveled] to [goal]

Common collocations
  • Hoffman's sculptures
  • the Hoffman exhibition
  • Hoffman's bronze figures
  • the work of Hoffman
  • the Hoffman collection
Synonyms
  • Malvina Hoffman

    full name, used in formal or scholarly writing

  • M. Hoffman

    abbreviated form sometimes used in museum labels or catalogues

Usage Note

In art contexts, 'Hoffman' alone (without a first name) normally refers to Malvina Hoffman, not to other artists with the same last name such as Josef Hoffmann or Hans Hofmann. Her last name is spelled with one 'f' and one 'n': Hoffman, not Hoffmann.

Common Mistakes

I visited the Hoffman exhibit at the museum.' (meaning the works by the sculptor)
I visited the Hoffman exhibition at the museum.
'exhibit' might be used for a single piece, but 'exhibition' is the standard word for a full display of her work.
Malvina Hoffman was a German sculptor.
Malvina Hoffman was an American sculptor.
She was born in New York City and worked mainly in the United States and France.

Word family

  • Hoffmanesque
    adjective

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

These three names are often confused by learners because they sound similar. 'Malvina Hoffman' (one 'f', one 'n') is the American sculptor discussed here — the only one of the three who was a woman and whose work focused on human figures from around the world. 'Josef Hoffmann' (two 'f's, two 'n's) was an Austrian architect and designer of furniture and buildings in the early 1900s. 'Hans Hofmann' (one 'f', two 'n's) was a German-born American painter known for abstract expressionist artworks. In a museum context, 'Hoffman' without a first name refers to the sculptor; in a design or architecture article, 'Hoffmann' likely points to Josef.

Malvina HoffmanJosef HoffmannHans Hofmann

Etymology

Middle High GermanGermanEnglish

Hoffman is a German and Jewish surname meaning 'court farmer' or 'farmstead owner', from Middle High German 'hof' (court, farm) and 'man' (man). The name was carried to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. Malvina Hoffman was born in New York City to a German-Jewish father and an English mother. The single-'f' spelling 'Hoffman' is the Americanised variant; the German spelling 'Hoffmann' uses two 'f's.