Animal legend 1913

Franz Marc created this woodcut, entitled ‘Animal Legend,’ at a time of great artistic and social upheaval in Germany. Marc was part of the Expressionist group ‘Der Blaue Reiter,’ who sought to express spiritual meaning through art. His choice of animals, rendered in stark black and white, reflects a rejection of human-centric perspectives, aiming to capture the essence of the natural world, as he once put it, to paint animals as they see the world. The print invites us to consider our place within the larger ecosystem. The animals are presented not as symbols of human traits, but as beings with their own intrinsic value. This approach challenged the prevailing artistic conventions of the time, as Marc sought a more authentic and less anthropocentric representation. Consider how the animals interact and how this imagined narrative speaks to the interconnectedness of life and the search for a deeper, more empathetic understanding of the world.