Der Blaue Reiter Flashcards
What did Die Blaue Reiter express
The spiritual in art
Background
It was an association of artists founded in Munich by Kandinsky and Marc. They published an almanac of essays and illustrations to explain their art theories.
Why was the group called Die Blaue Reiter
Because the men both liked the colour blue, Marc liked horses and Kandinsky liked riders.
What was on the cover of the publication
A semi-abstract drawing of a rider in black and blue
What was their aim
To express the inner spirituality through a variety of shapes.
Why did the group end
Because Marc and Macke died during WWI
How was Die Blaue Reiter better than Die Brücke
They were more international and they were the most important manifestation of modernism in Germany
Who were some of the artists
Wassily Kandinsky
Franz Marc
August Macke
Characteristics
They believed in an art that expressed the inner and spiritual life
They believed in experimenting
More international: Marc influenced by cubism
Although emphasis was placed on emotion, their work was more planned than Die Brücke
Themes
Lyrical, romantic, spiritual and sometimes abstract
they wanted to express what Kandinsky called inner necessity
no real social commentary
Colour
Experimented with an emotional use of colour and excluded sombre colours
Shape
Experimented with shape and distorted shapes to express emotion
Brushwork
Variety of brushstrokes were used with emphasis on the process of painting
Line created by brushstrokes were important as an expression of the artist’s personality.
Who was Franz Marc
Founding member of Der Blaue Reiter. Died during WWI. He was the most romantic painter and wanted to contrast the sordid reality of man’s life with the natural beauty of the animal world. He looked to nature for the harmony he was seeking. He was a pantheist, so the animal was seen as a symbol of innocence and goodness .˙. The animal is a symbol of the utopia man has lost. He say colour as symbolic
Who was Kandinsky
He was born in Russia and studied law. He became a painter at the age of 30. Also a founder. He later taught at a school until it was closed by the Nazis. He then moved to France.
