Deer in the Forest II 1914

Franz Marc made 'Deer in the Forest II' with oil on canvas, but really, it's color that seems to be his main medium here. Look at the way the world is constructed through these planes of color. The surface is pretty smooth and even, almost like he's trying to hide his process. You can’t really see any brushstrokes. But it’s the color that does all the work. The blues, reds, and greens aren't just descriptive; they feel emotional, like each color carries a feeling. The way the deer are fragmented, almost camouflaged, suggests a world seen through feeling more than clear vision. It makes me think of Picasso, and the way he deconstructed form into different planes of seeing. But where Picasso was analytical, Marc is going for something more heartfelt. There’s an honesty here, an openness to the unknown.