After the encounter with Italian Futurism, French Cubism and the works inspired by the notion of Orphism as promulgated by Robert Delaunay, whom he had visited with his close friend August Macke 1912 in Paris, Marc’s works are characterized by a breaking down of the representational into abstract, prismatic forms with rhythmically harmonized colours. And the spiritual dimension was of great importance: In the spirit of religious-pantheistic sensation, animals became a key theme, presented in harmony with nature as representatives of the eternal cosmos. In Marc’s exploration of the symbolism of colour, he created pictures of animals – such as The Foxes from 1913 – whose crystalline composition and transparent penetration of colours recall windows in medieval churches. The development towards a complete abstraction as had been effected in Kandinsky’s work at the same time does not appear to be far away. However, Franz Marc died in March 1916 on the battlefield near Verdun, France. (Sophia Stang)
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