Grazing Horses by Franz Marc

Created in 1910, Grazing Horses is an example of Franz Marc embracing what can only be called a Post-Impressionist style. Marc was known to utilise bold and often conflicting colours in many of his pieces.

Unsurprisingly, he attributed these tones to various human states such as spiritualism, transcendence and even violence. We can see Grazing Horses as embracing another facet of his personality.

Much like other works such as Cat on a Red Cloth and Fohlen Auf Der Wiede, the use of subdued and organic tones tends to dominate Grazing Horses. This painting represents what can only be called a striking duality within the personality of Marc.

While creating eye-catching pieces which undoubtedly espoused the Impressionist movement, he was also able to capture patterns that undoubtedly reflected the style of renowned painter Vincent van Gogh.

His use of delineated brush strokes and a medley of surrealistic tones further highlights what was termed as an "affinity" for van Gogh at the time.

The Calm Before the Storm?

One of the most striking aspects of the career of Marc is that his life was tragically cut short at the young age of 36 while fighting on the German front during World War I.

Many of his post-1910 paintings seem to hint at a conflict between the spiritual and the violent. Others such as Fighting Shapes (1914) display a flavour which many assume to reflect the outbreak of war itself.

On the contrary, Grazing Horses presents us with a calm and pastoral atmosphere. Does this perhaps hint at his very own memories of earlier years? It is a well-known fact that Marc utilised horses within many of these paintings and still, this portrayal is in stark contrast to more famous compositions such as Blue Horse I and Blue Horse II.

Grazing Horses represents a soft and tranquil departure from the more dramatic styles employed in many other works that were produced.