Academic-Capital

Franz Marc (1980-1916) loved to paint animals with pseudo religious themes. As a previous preacher he sought to create perfect forms that have a spiritual meaning beyond the canvass itself. He would paint idealized creatures that lived in harmony with the natural environment in which they existed ( 1 ). He mixed his studies of theology with his artistic works to express an ideal until he was killed by a piece of shrapnel in WWI cutting his artistic career short.  Within his work the animal is a superior creature living in nature and unable to err from its true existence. Blue is seen as a masculine principle, astringent and spiritual ( 2 ). It is a victory over the material world where the horse stands as a symbol of purity above the more chaotic forces that surround it within the painting. Man is seen as constantly striving to reach a higher form of existence and the horse represents that need.  The horse is seen as a sensitive and feeling being that lives within a wide