August Macke (1887-1914)
died
even younger than Franz Marc, also in combat during World War I.
Even so, he left a significant artistic legacy and his importance to the 'Blue Rider' group is incalculable, in that its primary funding came from his wife's wealthy uncle, Bernhard Koehler, who subsidized publication of the Almanac, bought works from every exhibition and provided a regular stipend to the ever-needy Marc, in exchange for pictures.
Born in Meschede, Germany, he
came into contact with the work of Böcklin during childhood visits to
Basle, was taught by Corinth and traveled widely throughout Europe. He
met Franz Marc in 1910 in Munich, and both journeyed to Paris two
years later, where they discovered Cubism and the work of Delaunay.
Macke's early Impressionist style
developed into use of strong, sunlit color, applied in painterly
facets of light. His preferred subject matter remained urban scenes of
shopping and leisure, although he experimented with pure abstraction
in 1913 and also produced work with a more structured appearance in
1914, when he visited North Africa with Paul Klee in 1914.
Later that year, Marc - shown in
this sketch by Macke - wrote his friend's obituary ...
"Young
Macke"- is dead. Those who have followed the course of
German art during these last, eventful years, those who sensed what
the future held in store for the development of that art, also knew
Macke. And those of us who worked with him- we, his friends,
we knew what promise this man of genius secretly bore in him.
His life described one of the boldest and most beautiful curves in
the development of German art; and with his death that curve has
been rudely broken. There is not one among us who can take it
further. Each of us goes his own way; wherever our paths meet,
we shall feel his absence. We Painters know that without his
harmonies whole octaves of color will disappear from German art, and
the sounds of the colors remaining will become duller and
sharper. He gave a brighter and purer sound to color than any
of us; he gave it the clarity and brightness of his whole being.
ABOVE:
Franz Marc with "Russi" (Franz Marc mit "Russi"),
1910, copying pencil
Westfälisches Landesmuseum für Kunst und Kulturgeschichte,
Münster.
BELOW:
Russian Ballet I (Russisches Ballett I),
1912, oil on pasteboard, Kunsthalle, Bremen.
Red House in a Park (Rotes Haus im
Park), 1914, oil on canvas, Städtisches Kunstmuseum, Bonn.
Zoological Garden I (Zoologischer Garten I), 1912, oil on
canvas, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus, Munich.
Leave-Taking (Abschied), 1914, oil
on canvas, Museum Ludwig, Cologne.
