A Vermont Art Mystery by Anita Rafael
The Lyman Orton Collection includes Vermont artwork in various media done by the Boston-born artist Irwin Hoffman (1901–1989). Hoffman spent his summers in Cavendish, Vermont, and otherwise worked in New York City. Hoffman was the son of Russian immigrants; his father was a tailor.
Widely traveled, at first on scholarships and later on his own, Irwin Hoffman worked in many media, including painting, murals, etching, lithography, photography, and sculpture. He was also a musician and made stringed instruments. Hoffman came out of the Boston Museum School of Fine Arts, and for a time was one of the WPA artists. His work is in the permanent collections of a long and impressive list of major museums and institutions, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art; Boston Public Library; Museum of Fine Arts in Boston; Yale Art Museum in Connecticut; and Worcester Art Museum in Massachusetts.
Lyman Orton feels that Hoffman captured something meaningful in this man’s expression. Appreciating Hoffman’s work, he says: “I am fortunate to have found a number of Vermont paintings by Irwin Hoffman. This portrait gives me the impression that Hoffman must have known this farmer well, and it is a wonderful painting where an artist seems to be expressing his admiration for this farmer. To me, this portrait honors all Vermont farmers, their hard life and their hard work. There was no information with this painting as to who this man is, so this is an instance where if someone can tell me who he is, I’d like to add his name to the record.”
There are clues to who this farmer may be, but as of this writing, no definite identification. Lyman Orton welcomes information about who this farmer might be; send us a message
Vermont Farmer
Oil on board, 20 x 15 7/8 in.
Irwin Hoffman (1901-1989)