The Large Blue Horses 1911

What’s your favourite colour? Franz Marc (1880-1916) is known for his use of vivid primary colours. In this large oil painting, ‘Blue Horses’, he makes use of a bold colour palette dominated by deep blue. 🌀 Painted in 1911, just years before the outbreak of World War One, ‘Blue Horses’ exemplifies the work of the group known as The Blue Rider. This was a collective of German Expressionist artists who emphasised the deeper meanings of abstract art. Symbolism was hugely important! 🦋 What might the blue horses symbolise in this abstract painting? The colour is often associated with spirituality, giving this work a transcendental element. Marc’s choice to depict animals rather than humans is significant – here, he suggests a sense of organic purity. The dreamlike realm of these abstract horses is harmonious, and untouched by political turmoil. ⚠️ The background consists of simplified curved forms, evoking a landscape of rolling hills. Marc has abandoned realistic colour conventions; the hills appear red rather than green. Alongside the other painters belonging to The Blue Rider (including Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Marianne von Werefkin), Marc has used the motif of the horse to symbolise the journey from reality into the spiritual. 🐴 How do you interpret this work? How might it differ from previous artistic conventions? 🖼️ Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham