Promenade 1913

Editor: This is August Macke’s “Promenade” from 1913, made with oil paint. The figures have a really captivating, almost dreamlike quality to them. How do you interpret this work in its historical moment? Curator: It's fascinating to consider "Promenade" within the socio-political context of pre-World War I Europe. Macke, a member of Der Blaue Reiter, was very interested in portraying modern life. What is "modern" in 1913 for the leisured class? The park became a public space to showcase themselves through fashion, social standing, and gender dynamics. Editor: I can see that, yes, there’s a performative aspect. Do you think that's reflected in the painting’s style at all? Curator: Definitely. Consider the simplification of form and vibrant color palette of the Expressionist movement. How does that reflect or comment on societal norms of the time? Macke seems to embrace capturing everyday experiences. This is more documentary and not about traditional, classical grandeur, moving art from the salon into society and democratizing beauty. He also represents these upper middle-class figures but with the hint of modern primitivism. Editor: That’s an interesting idea—"democratizing beauty." The piece feels both of its time and strangely timeless. Curator: Exactly! And that tension reflects a period of dramatic social change and challenges within the cultural institutions themselves. Thank you, that shifted how I think of it. Editor: Likewise. Considering its relation to democratized beauty sheds new light on its meaning to me.