Playing Dogs c. 1912

Editor: This is Franz Marc's "Playing Dogs", housed at the Harvard Art Museums. The dogs are rendered in vivid colors, almost like emotional states. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see a challenge to anthropocentric views. Marc was deeply interested in representing the world from an animal’s perspective, critiquing human-centric biases in art and society. Consider the vibrant, non-naturalistic colors; how might those choices reflect a world experienced beyond human perception? Editor: So, the colors aren't just aesthetic choices? Curator: Precisely. They become a political statement, suggesting a de-centering of human experience and a valuing of alternative ways of seeing and being. It’s a radical act of empathy through abstraction. Editor: I never considered that. It definitely changes how I view the painting! Curator: Exactly, art can shift our understanding.