Nudes under Trees

At the end of 1911, the Blaue Reiter was established along with the eponymous almanac edited by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc. The academic painting tradition was to be broken up and the liberty of artistic opportunities expanded. That year, Marc’s work experienced a decisive change: in searching for a way of lending personal feelings an unaffected expression, he distanced himself from naturalist colouring. The painting Nude under Trees already depicts, above all in the landscape – unmixed colours in a free composition. Though the portrayal of the two women’s bodies and poses is still rooted in the painterly tradition, the painting reveals itself as a work of radical change. (Sophia Stang)