Animals in Expressionist art

Animals appear very frequently in Expressionist prints. Franz Marc was one of the foremost artists to focus on depicting animals in his work. For him, they were symbols of harmony, purity, originality and innocence. Marc’s pictures show animals that have become graceful protagonists of his visual worlds through their expressive, dynamic postures.

Kirchner, Morgner, Campendonk and others also took up the theme of animals, often in a poetic relationship with humans. Their painting residences in the Murnau region offered many opportunities to engage artistically with the local wildlife.

In his famous print ‘Lyrical’ from 1911, Kandinsky depicts the horseman motif in a highly abstract form. Here, form and colour are almost completely detached from any reference to the object.