Tiger 1912

Franz Marc created this woodcut, "Tiger," in Germany at a time of great social change. As an expressionist artist, he was interested in capturing raw emotion, and the tiger, an inherently wild animal, held great appeal for him. The image is simplified and abstracted, reflecting the influence of non-Western art, which was gaining popularity and entering museum collections during this period. Yet it might also reflect the increasing alienation of humans from the natural world. Marc was part of the 'Der Blaue Reiter' group who sought to imbue their art with spiritual meaning as an escape from the rapidly industrializing modern world. To fully understand Marc’s work, one should consider the social and artistic context in which he was working, using resources such as exhibition catalogs, biographies, and critical essays. The image resonates with social and institutional histories as much as it does with individual expression.