In the Rain by Franz Marc

In the Rain is widely recognised as one of Marc's most important works

It was in the autumn months of 1912 that Marc and Macke travelled to Paris and visited Robert Delaunay. For both these artists, this visit proved to be immensely important.

Confronting intellectual Cubism proved to be just as important. Their views of transitory conditions of all living things and their interpretation are reflected in pictures such as In the Rain (1912 and The Tiger (1912).

At the same time, these works also reflect the inseparability of matter and spirit. The essential spiritual message is about being indivisible. In The Tiger (1912), we see how this cunning and dangerous animal is crouching yet ready to spring all at the same time. The crystalline construction of the formal structures matches the physical appearance of this animal. Neither the inanimate nor animate nature show any dualism.

With the approach of World War I the tension reflected in his paintings became a wider focus point. It seemed as though he anticipated the fate of Europe as well as his own.

Franz Marc had a tremendous impact on the Expressionist movements that evolved after World War II although his career was unexpectedly shortened by his early death. The goal of group Der Blaue Reiter was to make use of symbolism and form as tools that would overcome what they believed was a toxic state of the modern world they were living in.

However, the Blue Rider artists were instead unified by a common ideology, whereby artists could express their creative freedom and personal vision whatever manner they thought was appropriate. In much the same way as the Romantic artists of the previous century, they were interested in displaying nature and the universe as self expression.