Fairy Animals 1913

Franz Marc painted these fairy animals with oil on paper, but we don't know exactly when. Look at the sharp angles and bright colours, like sapphire blue, cherry red and touches of lemon yellow. The paint isn't too thick but the colours are dense, laid down with energy. I imagine Marc standing there, brush in hand, really trying to see the essence of these animals, not just what they look like but how they feel, how they move. See how the forms overlap and intersect? It’s like he’s trying to capture the animal's spirit, making it solid. I think he was part of the Blue Rider group, who wanted to express spiritual truths through art. It makes me think about Kandinsky, his contemporary, who was also looking for ways to paint feelings and ideas, not just things. It feels like they were both onto something, trying to push painting beyond the surface. Painting is like one big conversation across time.