Red and Blue Horse 1913

Franz Marc made "Red and Blue Horse" with watercolor, ink, and pencil on paper during a period of intense artistic experimentation in the early 20th century. Amidst the rise of Expressionism in Germany, Marc sought to capture the inner essence of animals, believing they possessed a spiritual purity lost to humanity. In this piece, the colors aren't merely descriptive, but symbolic. Red, often associated with passion and violence, clashes with the cool, contemplative blue. These aren’t just horses; they're embodiments of primal forces, reflecting the anxieties and yearnings of a society on the brink of war. Marc said he was trying to give the animal "a psychological, not an anatomical form," moving beyond the literal depiction of nature to explore emotional and spiritual states. He wanted to give each color a psychological meaning, as he felt this would allow for a deeper understanding of the world. This work invites us to consider how we project our own feelings and experiences onto the natural world, searching for meaning and connection in times of turmoil.