Sleeping Deer by Franz Marc

Franz Marc used the blue color to male strength and principle while the yellows brought out joy and feminine gentleness

One of Franz Marc’s famous quotes is “I never, for instance, have the urge to paint animals 'the way I see them,' but rather the way they are... The way they themselves look at the world and feel their being”.

Franz was well known for painting animals and nature in subtle colors that were nothing short of expressive. One such painting was Sleeping Deer.

The painting depicts a dark blue dear with shades of yellow on the underbelly lying down with a blend or red blue and yellow surroundings. Franz borrowed a lot from Kandinsky, a painter who believed that colors needed to stand for themselves.

He also felt that they carried a spirit that needed to represent itself. This was an ideal combination for Franz Marc who used animals, nature, and color to express what he felt.

Franz was a well-traveled man, and it is from his travels that he picked and learned from the different forms of art he encountered. He also happened to meet masters of the trade that he sat under and shared with.

He traveled to Paris in 1903 and to Greece in 1906 and later traveled back to Paris in 1907. Franz was born during a time of war which also tragically cost him his life through a bombardment while he was in service.

The red signifies the danger and brutality he felt, and this was commonly seen in his paintings. The red deer is a sign of strength and joy in the midst of surroundings that present the dangers and tranquility of life all blended in one.

He writes, ”Art is nothing but the expression of our dream; the more we surrender to it the closer we get to the inner truth of things, our dream-life, the true life that scorns questions and does not see them.” This proves that he expressed what he hoped for the world during a difficult time through his art.