Early Life and Artistic Career
August Robert Ludwig Macke, a renowned German Expressionist painter, was born on January 3, 1887, in Meschede, Westphalia. His artistic journey began at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf (1904-1906), under Adolf Maennchen. Macke's style was shaped by French Impressionism and Post-Impressionism, later influenced by Fauvism.
Artistic Influences and Style
Macke's meeting with Robert Delaunay in Paris (1912) introduced him to chromatic Cubism, also known as Orphism. This influence can be seen in his painting
Shops Windows, a personal interpretation of Delaunay's style combined with the simultaneity of images found in Italian Futurism.
Macke was part of the German Expressionist group
Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), alongside
Wassily Kandinsky,
Franz Marc, and
Paul Klee. His paintings, such as
Bathing Girls with Town in the Background (100 x 80 cm,
Staatsgalerie Moderner Kunst, Munich, Germany), showcase his unique style characterized by vivid colors and bold draftsmanship.
Notable Works and Legacy
Tragic End and Lasting Impact
Macke's life was cut short when he died on September 26, 1914, at the front in Champagne, France. His last painting, Farewell, captures the mood of gloom that settled over Europe during World War I.
Explore more of August Macke's works and the German Expressionist movement on WahooArt:
* [https://WahooArt.com/@@/8XXPEQ-August-Macke-Woman-in-a-Green-Jacket](https://WahooArt.com/@@/8XXPEQ-August-Macke-Woman-in-a-Green-Jacket) (Woman in a Green Jacket)
* [https://WahooArt.com/@@/8BWPTF-Franz-Marc-Fighting-Forms](https://WahooArt.com/@@/8BWPTF-Franz-Marc-Fighting-Forms) (Franz Marc's Fighting Forms, showcasing the collaboration within Der Blaue Reiter)
* [https://WahooArt.com/@/August-Macke](https://WahooArt.com/@/August-Macke) (August Macke's artist page on WahooArt)