Large Lenggries Horses 1908

Franz Marc painted "Large Lenggries Horses" using oil on canvas. The artwork is a symphony of warm yellows and oranges. Painted during a time of rapid industrialization, which estranged people from nature, Marc sought a spiritual connection with the natural world. His choice of horses, as a central motif, suggests a longing for a simpler, more harmonious existence. Marc believed that animals possessed an inherent purity and innocence, untainted by human corruption. In a letter, he wrote, "I tried to deepen my feeling for the organic rhythm of nature... for the pantheistic vibration and flow of animal blood in nature." Looking at the muscular forms and the communal huddle of the animals, we can see how Marc’s work diverges from traditional representations. He was interested in abstraction and the expression of inner emotion. The gendered aspect of his work—with the powerful presence of the horses—resonates with the artistic explorations of masculinity that were being developed in the early 20th century. This painting invites you to meditate on our relationship with nature and with ourselves.