Fighting Forms

Art of the early-modern era separated itself from the traditional, tame, styles like Romanticism, Realism, and Classicalism by stepping outside of conventional thought. Early Modern art, more especially Expressionism, began to focus on the innermost recesses of the human psyche, bringing forth emotions that had never been encountered so directly in art. Of the Expressionist artists, Franz Marc stands out as one of the leading influences in Expressionism. Known primarily for his animal-themed style, Marc used form, shapes, and colors to express emotions that no words could effectively convey. His story is a very unique one. Marc was born in Munich on February 8th, 1880. He decided to become an artist “after a year of military service interrupted his plans to study philology” (Biography). Suffering from severe bouts of depression from 1904-1907, it wasn’t until his return to Paris that he was happy once again. His art expresses the uneasiness of the time just before the outbreak of World War I. However, his involvement in World War I extends beyond art.

Franz Marc Fighting Forms (1914)

Painted at the start of the Great War, Fighting Forms (1914) is clearly the product of a country at war. We see in Marc’s painting two opposing forces that are very obvious. This mentality was very common during World War I because of propaganda. Propaganda drove a wedge between good and evil, right and wrong. Fighting Forms perfectly expresses this belief. Marc explains that “Objects speak: objects possess will and form, why should we wish to interrupt them! We have nothing sensible to say to them. Haven’t we learned in the last thousand years that the more we confront objects with the reflection of their appearance, the more silent they become”(“Fighting Forms”)? This explains the raw emotion behind his paintings, more especially Fighting Forms, and in 1914 Germany, the emotions of the people would have revolved around what this painting expresses: fear, hate, and contention. Franz Marc was able to use form and color to achieve what few could. There is no better example of this expression than Fighting Forms.

Franz Marc actually participated directly in World War I. Marc enlisted as soon as the war started in 1914. However, in an effort to keep protect the future of German art, many prominent artists of the time were taken out of action. Before the order reached Marc, he was killed near Verdun, France on March 4th, 1916. His was a great loss to the art world. While admiring his work today, we can still make out traces of life in the early 20th century. We can feel the terror of the approaching global conflict. His voice was a universal one, transcending ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic barriers. It is appropriate to end with what art meant to Franz Marc in his own words. “Art is nothing but the expression of our dream; the more we surrender to it the closer we get to the inner truth of things, our dream-life, the true life that scorns questions and does not see them” (“Fighting Forms”).

Sources:

“Biography.” Guggenheim Collection. Retrieved November 3, 2010. <http://www.guggenheimcollection.org/site/artist_bio_98.html&gt;

“Fighting Forms.” Everyday Weirdness. Retrieved November 3, 2010. <http://everydayweirdness.com/e/20090106/&gt;