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August Macke, an important German painter, was a driving force behind the expressionist movement and a member of the avant-garde group Der Blaue Reiter. He was born on January 3rd, 1887 in Meschede, Germany. His journey as an artist was characterized by his exploration of color and form which left its mark on early twentieth-century art.
The Early Years of August Macke
Macke grew up in Cologne where his father worked as a building contractor before attending Düsseldorf Academy of Art from 1904 to 1906 due to his early love for painting. It was during this time that he became interested in impressionism – particularly their use of light and colour – which would later become one of his trademarks.
In 1907 he visited Paris and came across Fauvism and Post-Impressionism; this trip had significant impact because it exposed him to revolutionary ideas such as those by Henri Matisse or Paul Cézanne who were not afraid to use lots of bright colours within one picture whilst also rethinking composition rules themselves.
The Blue Rider Group
It was in the year 1911 when he joined Der Blaue Reiter group founded by Wassily Kandinsky together with Franz Marc among others. This association aimed at going beyond traditional forms seeking spiritual truths through abstract or symbolic representations. Therefore during this time period Mackes’ works synthesized different influences including fauve’s intense hues; cezanne’s structured arrangements; expressionistic emotional charge etcetera…
For example “Lady in Green Jacket” painted around these years shows already some elements characteristic for his style like simplified forms enhanced by strong pure tones next to each other conveying certain moods rather than describing reality only… Another representative piece might be “The Turkish Garden” where again simplification leads us towards more universal statements about what happens inside people themselves when being surrounded by nature.
This however did not mean that everything else ceased playing significant role within artist’s life – quite contrary actually! Travelling was always one of most important aspects in his development as an artist: he travelled with Paul Klee to Tunisia 1912; went through Switzerland and Italy afterwards absorbing various artistic traditions as well different sceneries etcetera… Every single journey brought something new into play thus widening horizons both technically but also emotionally speaking.
Moreover Macke got married to Elisabeth Gerhardt in 1909 so their personal lives became closely interwoven with each other from this moment onwards forevermore. That is why many times she appeared on canvas representing something very intimate or private indeed – for instance “Portrait Of My Wife” portrays just such kind relationship between two people being husband and wife at once.
Yet unfortunately all good things must come to end sooner or later: World War broke out 1914 which meant tragic downfall not only for him but also countless others like himself back then who had been so full of hopes dreams aspirations… As soldier serving under German army sent over Western Front where despite everything continued painting drawing pictures even though conditions were harsher than ever before – alas fate had different plans eventually leading up to death by bullets September 26th, aged 27 years old
The Legacy of August Macke
Although he died too young, August Macke still has an important influence on modern art. He invented new methods to use colors and forms. This is combined with his ability to catch the truth of ordinary life that left deep marks on expressionism. His works are full of energy and strong feelings – they invite us to look at the world through different eyes.
Today we can find traces of Macke`s creative activity in many places worldwide. In Bonn (Germany) there is a museum called The House of August Macke which serves as a museum dedicated to his life and work; but not only does it display pieces painted by him or during various periods throughout his career – it also gives visitors an idea about what may have occurred behind them.
The Der Blaue Reiter movement was greatly influenced by Macke's contribution as well as his study into the theory of color. Artists were inspired by these theories even long after this period ended because they found them useful for their own practice too: “For instance, when I paint landscapes, I always remember what he said about green being warmer than blue…” His pictures have very smooth structures where shades seem natural; this makes them feel like never-aging masterpieces talking about things common for all people.
In summary,
August Macke lived a very short life but achieved so much artistically! Mixing influences from different sources were key to creating such lively expressions within early 20th century arts. Being one member among others who belonged to Der Blaue Reiter group changed everything forever towards what we now call expressionism. As much as possible should be done in preserving this unique heritage left behind by people like him who knew how best do that even using colours innovatively forms too can transcend time so that humanity always appreciates its beauty while reflecting upon diverse aspects surrounding our existence
August Macke Prints
A carefully curated collection of Macke works is presented for sale at GalleryThane with a wide range of sizes and print materials
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