Marc

cats by Franz Marc (1910)

61 x 50.5 cm (24 in × 20 in)

Oil on canvas

German painter Franz Marc began his career at the Munich Art Academy but quickly became disenchanted by the strict natural realism it demanded. He also disliked the emphasis on the human form. Inspired by the early Modernist movements like Post-Impressionism, Fauvism and Cubism, Marc would create expressive and emotional works of art.

Cats exhibits some of those influences. He was a fan of Van Gogh especially and was attracted to the chromatic freedom of the Fauves. During this phase, Marc believed in the spiritual harmony of nature. He believed animals represented the purest, most beautiful state of life. Humanity was too corrupt, too degenerate. As his career developed, the human form would be represented less and less, until it was eliminated completely.

In Cats, Marc uses line, form, and color to communicate his ideas of Nature in Harmony. Starting with the landscape, he paints a tightly cropped section of a dirt path lined with grass and flowers. The plants are painted with thick, heavy brushstrokes, similar to Van Gogh’s style. Each blade of grass or leaf is a deliberate and individual form. They aren’t straight, perfect images though, they curve and sway in different directions. This gives them life and energy. As I watch the flowers grow in my garden, I can see leaves and plants growing all willy-nilly. They aren’t perfect but they’re interesting to look at. Same here. This technique makes the painting authentic, real, and alive.

This energy is tempered somewhat by the sleeping cats. They are peaceful and relaxed in the warm sunlight. However, the flowing lines of the brushstrokes continue. The strokes making up the fur sculpt the cats like they sculpt the foliage around them. The fur curls and swirls around them, building their forms. So, while the cats nap, there seems to be a current that moves over and through them, connecting them to the breezy landscape. To me, this calm picture lives and breathes.

Color also contributes to the painting’s quiet energy. Reds and yellows dominate the center of the work where the orange tabby and the striped cloth lie. Even the plants are more yellow than green. These colors give off a heat that adds to the life in the piece. I can feel the warmth of the sun, and the cats do what cats do and soak it in. The only real cool-ness is the blue-gray of the other cat. Just like the sleeping cats help to relax the energy of the painting, the neutral tones of the tuxedo cat offset the warmth of the painting. And to me, because its coloring is such a contrast to the rest, it stands out more.

Because the brushstrokes are so visible, I can visualize Marc painting this work. I can easily imagine his hand darting back and forth between the canvas and the palette, slapping on the thick pigments. This also adds energy.

Along with fellow artist Vassily Kandinsky, Marc formed the short-lived Blue Rider Group the following year. The political stability in Europe was deteriorating quickly, deeply affecting the artist. He became disillusioned about everything, and his paintings became more violent and distorted. Franz Marc fought in World War I and was killed in the Battle of Verdun in 1916.

© September 16, 2023