Sandgrube (1911)

August Macke prints bring the bright, harmonious color of one of Germany's best-loved Expressionist painters into your home. Macke worked for barely a decade before he was killed in the First World War at 27, yet he left behind a joyful body of work: couples strolling by lakes, shop windows, sunlit gardens and still lifes. Our collection gathers more than a hundred August Macke art prints, from early landscapes to his late abstract color studies.

About August Macke

August Macke was born on 3 January 1887 in Meschede, Westphalia, and grew up in Cologne and Bonn. He studied at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf from 1904 to 1906, took evening classes with Fritz Helmut Ehmke, and spent a few months in Lovis Corinth's studio in Berlin. A trip to Paris in 1907 introduced him to the French Impressionists, who had a lasting effect on his painting.

In 1909 he married Elisabeth Gerhardt, who appears in many of his portraits. Through his friend Franz Marc he met Wassily Kandinsky in 1910, and he took part in both exhibitions of the Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) group. A meeting with Robert Delaunay in Paris in 1912 pushed his work toward pure, glowing color. He lived mostly in Bonn, where he had his home from 1911 to 1914, with stays at Tegernsee in Bavaria and at Hilterfingen on Lake Thun in Switzerland.

In April 1914 Macke traveled to Tunisia with Paul Klee and Louis Moilliet, and the light he found there shaped the luminous work of his final months. Soon after war broke out he was killed in the Champagne region of France on 26 September 1914. Under the Nazis his paintings were removed from German museums as "degenerate art"; his reputation recovered after the Second World War, and his former home in Bonn now operates as the August-Macke-Haus museum.

Style and Subjects

Macke absorbed many influences in a short time, from Impressionism and the Fauves to Cubism, Futurism and Delaunay's color experiments. What came out of them was a style of his own: clear, simplified shapes and bright, harmonious color.

His favorite subjects are people at leisure: strollers in parks, couples by a lake, women looking into shop windows, children at play. In paintings such as People on the Blue Lake he builds the whole scene from the colors of the spectrum, letting reds, yellows, greens and blues melt into one another without hard outlines. Look also for his still lifes of fruit and flowers, his portraits of Elisabeth, and the bright views from his Tunisian journey.

Famous Works

• People on the Blue Lake (1913), Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe. A couple and a child stand among trees, painted in soft bands of rainbow color that blend into one another.
• Turkish Café II (1914), Lenbachhaus, Munich. One of his late café scenes, painted in the last year of his life.
• Lady in a Green Jacket (1913), Museum Ludwig, Cologne. One of his best-known paintings, held in Cologne alongside his last work, Farewell.
• Hat Shop (1913), Lenbachhaus, Munich. A shop-window scene, a subject he returned to several times.
• Little Walter's Toys (1912), Städel Museum, Frankfurt. A playful still life of toys, now in one of Frankfurt's leading museums.
• Promenade (1913), Lenbachhaus, Munich. Strollers out in the open air, one of his favorite themes.
• Indians on Horseback (1911), Lenbachhaus, Munich. An early painting from the years of his friendship with Franz Marc and the Blue Rider circle.
• Farewell (1914), Museum Ludwig, Cologne. His last painting, which captures the gloom that settled over Germany when war broke out.

Decorating with Macke Prints

Macke's lakeside and park scenes, such as People on the Blue Lake, Promenade and his views of Lake Thun, have the warm, sociable mood that suits a living room or entryway. Their mix of blues, greens and sunny yellows sits easily with natural wood and white or pale walls.

For a kitchen or dining room, try his still lifes of apples, lemons and flower pots. His paintings of children and toys, such as Little Walter's Toys, are a natural fit for a nursery or playroom, while the calmer portraits of Elisabeth reading work well in a bedroom or study. For a modern space or a gallery wall of Macke wall art, his abstract color studies (Farbige Formen and Abstrakte Formen) and Tunisian views give a bold, graphic accent.

FAQ

What art movement was August Macke part of?

August Macke was a German Expressionist and a member of the circle around the Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter), taking part in both of its exhibitions. His work also draws on French Impressionism, Fauvism and Robert Delaunay's color-based Orphism.

What is August Macke's most famous painting?

Among his best-known works are People on the Blue Lake (1913), Lady in a Green Jacket (1913) and Turkish Café (1914).

Where can I see August Macke's original paintings?

Major collections include the Lenbachhaus in Munich, the Museum Ludwig in Cologne, the Kunstmuseum Bonn, the Städel Museum in Frankfurt and the Staatliche Kunsthalle Karlsruhe. The August-Macke-Haus in Bonn, his home from 1911 to 1914, is a museum dedicated to his work.

How can I recognize a Macke painting?

Look for bright, harmonious color, simplified forms and peaceful scenes of people strolling, shopping or relaxing outdoors. In his mature work, color rather than perspective holds the picture together.

How old was August Macke when he died?

Macke was 27. He was killed in action in the Champagne region of France on 26 September 1914.

Related Artists

• Franz Marc: close friend who introduced Macke to Kandinsky; fellow Blue Rider painter.
• Wassily Kandinsky: co-founder of the Blue Rider, whose exhibitions Macke joined.
• Paul Klee: traveled with Macke to Tunisia in 1914.
• Robert Delaunay: French painter whose color theory shaped Macke's later work.