Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (1880 - 1916)

Biography

Franz Marc was a German painter, graphic artist, and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of "Der Blaue Reiter" (The Blue Rider), a journal whose name later became synonymous with the circle of artists collaborating in it.

Franz Marc has German Roots.

Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc was born on 8 Feb 1880, the son of landscape and genre painter Wilhelm Marc and his wife Sophie, née Maurice, who was born in Alsace.^[1]

He married (1) Marie Christine Henriette Margarete Schnür on 27 Mar 1907 in Obermenzing, Munich. They divorced in Jul 1908.

Whereas Marc's early works were still committed to the naturalistic style of Academicism, after a visit to Paris in 1907, he began devoting himself to Post-Impressionism under the influence of Gauguin and van Gogh. Between 1910 and 1914 he used stylistic elements of Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, and Orphism, but did not completely separate himself from the subject matter in his work. It was during this period that he created his famous paintings, that mostly depict animals, and are known for their bright colors. His first abstract paintings were created in 1913 and 1914.

He married (2) Maria Franck on 3 Jun 1913 in Munich.

He was killed as a German soldier in the Battle of Verdun (World War I) on 4 Mar 1916 near Braquis^[2] and was buried in the park of the destroyed Château du Hautoy in Gussainville near Braquis.^[3] His widow Maria had his body transferred to Kochel am See in 1917.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ German Wikipedia Article on Franz Marc
2. ↑ Verlustlisten 1. Weltkrieg, page 11819: Marc Franz (München)
3. ↑ German Wikipedia Article on Gussainville
4. ↑ Find A Grave: Memorial #20800

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q44054
• English Wikipedia Article on Franz Marc
• von Toll, Gritta. Franz Marc: A Creative Powerhouse. In: Bbys Magazine, March 9, 2020