Hans Hofmann was one of the most important figures of postwar American art and played a key role in the development of Abstract Expressionism. While gaining success as an artist, Hofmann was also an influential teacher to generations of artists, including Frank Stella. In Hofmann’s Still Life, a bowl of fruit is visible in the upper right, while the shapes suggest vases and other common still-life items. Unlike traditional still lifes, however, Hoffmann's composition is modernized, with unusual colors and abstracted forms.