The Riding School

Franz Marc was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of Der Blaue Reiter, an almanac whose name later became synonymous with the circle of artists collaborating in it. His mature works are mostly animals and are known for bright colors. Today, we will present one of his amazing woodcuts.

The striking black and white contrast in this woodcut amplifies the feeling of peril, capturing a moment where a horse, caught off guard, seems on the verge of bucking its rider. For Marc, the use of color, including the starkness of black against white, was primarily a means of expressing emotions, notably those experienced by the animals he portrayed in his works. He questioned, "how does a horse view the world, an eagle, a deer, or a dog?" Thus, if Riding School evokes a sense of fear, it might more accurately reflect the horse's alarm at the sight of a dog near its feet than any anxiety the rider feels. According to the artist himself, his frightened animals were like a premonition of the First World War war, both horrifying and exhilarating. As he said: "It's hard for me to believe I was the one who painted it. Yet, from an artistic standpoint, creating such a work before the war's outbreak, rather than as a mute reflection afterward, makes sense."

Franz Marc died in 1916 at the Battle of Verdun.

P.S. Read why we can find so many paintings of animals (especially horses) in Franz Marc's oeuvre. In our beautiful set of 50 Postcards, you will find some of these depictions!  :)