Franz Moritz Wilhelm Marc (1880 – 1916) was a German painter and printmaker, one of the key figures of German Expressionism. He was a founding member of The Blue Rider, a journal whose name later became synonymous with the circle of artists collaborating in it.
He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and later he traveled to France, where he spent most of his time in Paris. During this time, he was influenced from Parisian art and the Expressionists.
In 1912, Franz Marc met with Robert Delaunay, who used color and design methods, in a futuristic manner; this led to the futurist movement. Marc became fascinated in this futuristic style, as well as in cubism, and his paintings were extremely advanced for their time, including abstract nature.
During his career, Franz Marc created about 60 pieces in lithography and woodcut. Many of his pieces depicted animals, in their natural setting and habitat.
His work is characterized by bright primary color, an almost cubist portrayal of animals, stark simplicity and a profound sense of emotion.
He also gave meaning to the colors that were used in his pieces; blue was used to depict masculinity and a spiritual style; while yellow and lighter colors depicted femininity and joy. Red tones were often used to depict violence or some serious under toning in his work. His works were oppressed by the Nazis in the early 1930s, and nearly 130 pieces which Franz Marc had created, were removed from exhibits, and art shows that he had become a part of, in different cities in Germany.
Source: https://www.franzmarc.org
