August Macke
Painter August Mache was a leading member of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter, or The Blue Rider. His works ranged from Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, and Fauvism. His final, most iconic paintings focus on expressing emotion, rather than reproducing objective reality, which funnily enough makes his most popular masterpieces Expressionist works. Born in Germany, his father was a building contractor and his mother came from a farming family. Macke’s training was informal; during his family’s travels to Paris, he saw Impressionist works for the first time and was immediately obsessed. He went to Berlin shortly after and spent a few months learning in a studio under the wings of other artists. Macke’s meeting with Robert Delaunay greatly influenced him. His final painting, Farewell, grimly represents his dark view of the world after being exposed to war.
