Small Composition III 1914

Franz Marc made Small Composition III with oil paint. The surface of this painting looks smooth, but up close the colors are so vibrant, right? I can imagine Marc applying paint, wiping it away, and then adding more, building up these translucent layers. Look at the big red shape in the middle. Is it an animal? A plant? Hard to say. The way the forms all bleed into each other makes it a really dynamic composition. Marc was part of the Blue Rider group, and they were into this idea of art as spiritual expression, trying to capture something beyond the surface of things. You can see echoes of Cubism here too, especially in the way the space is flattened. It reminds me a little of Marsden Hartley, with its bold colors and simplified forms. It feels both modern and deeply connected to something ancient.