The Blue Rider: In the Lenbachhaus, Munich

by Helmut Friedel, Annegret Hoberg, Stadtische Galerie Im Lenbachhaus Munchen

Book by

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

328 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2001

Reviews

[carl theaker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always admired the work of Franz Marc so when I was
in Munich in 2005 naturally the Lenbachhaus museum was
on the list of things to do. With great fortune there
was a Marc Retrospective in progress, which turned out
to be the largest display ever of works by Marc, a
real treasure!

Though this book was on sale there, I waited till
I got home to purchase it as a keepsake of that
memorable visit. Though at times I've scanned
through the pretty pictures, I just set about to
read it, and while expecting a bit doing my duty
dry art history, it turned out that the 70 pages
of text, hey but they are big pages, tell an
interesting tale of the creation of 'The Blaue Reiter'
which is what this group of artists called themselves,
Marc and Kandinsky being the most well known.

Following the story are 120 plates by
these various artists, as well as Munter, Klee,
Jawlensky and Macke to name a few. Each has an in
depth analysis. The plates are arranged by artist
chronologically and shows the progression
of the artist's style.

[Jai M {Cat Crazy Dragon } · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything you wanted to know about the beginning of Expressionism, and the changing world of art in Germany.
This is the book that introduced me to Franz Marc, and changed the way I viewed and understood art history.
I won't bother with a synopsis, there are simpler and better ones already, than I could write.
What I will say: stunning photographs, excellent sizes, enough information on each section to get you started, and to know where or what you wish to continue.
The subject is too large for one book obviously, but this offers a comprehensive view, that informs and educates, just enough, without overwhelming, waffling, or relying on complicated terminology to impress.