German artist August Macke died 100 years ago

German artist August Macke grew up in the Rhineland, but was heavily influenced by artistic movements all over the world, such as expressionism, impressionism and cubism, which he encountered on his numerous travels. He developed his own unmistakable artistic style and understood his images as "visual poetry." One of his main objectives was to display liveliness through his works of art.

August Macke preferred painting scenes from everyday life, which he simplified in his works of art, like in the picture above, titled: "Man Reading in a Park." Macke created his works of art with glowing and harmonizing colors. The effect of light played a central role for him.

Macke was part of a community of artists with different artistic backgrounds who stood for a modern conception of art and turned against the normal rules of society. The group was founded by fellow artist Franz Marc (pictured) and was called "Der Blaue Reiter" ("The Blue Rider"). Famous members in addition to Franz Marc and August Macke were Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee and Robert Delaunay.

The two artists had a brief but powerful friendship. In 1910, Macke visited Marc's studio in Munich for the first time, which resulted in Macke painting a portrait of Marc (pictured). They also set up an exhibition in Berlin together, which was called "The First German Autumn Salon" - a reference to the "Salon d’Automne" in Paris, which was a meeting point of the avant-garde in the French capital.

A current exhibition at the Bonn Art Museum in light of the centenary of Macke's death presents a comprehensive selection of around 200 paintings, watercolors, drawings and sketchbooks of both artists. Pictured above is Marc’s work of art "Abstract Forms II." The friends influenced each other and held lively discussions about their views, even though they often had different ideas about art.

Marc started drawing animals in 1908 and often visited the zoo in Berlin. "The Yellow Cow" (pictured) is one of his most famous paintings. When it was showcased at the first exhibition of "The Blue Rider" it caused a senstation and went down in art history as a symbol of feminism and joy. It's usually showcased at the Guggenheim Museum in New York but can currently be seen at the Bonn exhibit.

In April 1914, Macke went on a trip to Tunisia together with fellow German atist Paul Klee and Swiss artist Louis Moilliet. The colorful Arabian life on the streets of Tunis inspired Macke: "It's like the devil, and I am enjoying my work as never before," he wrote to his wife Elizabeth.

When Franz Marc learned about the death of August Macke on September 26, 1914, he wrote: “With his death, one of the most beautiful and wild curves of German artistic development abruptly dropped, which none of us are able to continue.” Macke died at the age of 27 - shortly after the beginning of World War I, in France. Two years later, Franz Marc fell in battle.