FRANK B. HOFFMAN
(1888-1958)
 

   Known as a traditional Western illustrator, painter and sculptor, Frank Hoffman was born in Chicago, Illinois.  He grew up around his father’s New Orleans, Louisiana, racing stables. Through a family friend, Hoffman was hired to make sketches for the Chicago Daily American, eventually becoming head of the art department there.  While working for the paper, he had five years of formal art training with J. Wellington Reynolds, a portrait painter.  In 1916, Hoffman went West to paint, living with the Indian tribes and working with the cowboys.  During that time, he also worked as public relations director for Glacier National Park where he met noted artist John Singer Sargent.

   In 1920, Hoffman joined the young art colony in Taos, New Mexico, where he met and studied with Leon Gaspard.  Although focusing on his fine art, Hoffman also painted for corporate advertising campaigns and illustrated Western subjects for leading national magazines in the 1920’s. Hoffman became the best-known 
New Mexico illustrator of his time.  As his success grew, he bought his own Hobby Horse Rancho, where he raised first thoroughbreds and then quarter horses.  His horses became the live models for his paintings, along with longhorn cattle, eagles, burros, turkeys and even a bear.  By 1940 Hoffman had and exclusive contract with Brown and Bigelow for calendar art.  He produced more that 150 Western paintings during this time.  Frank B. Hoffman died in Taos, New Mexico in 1958.