Maria Marc

German artist

Not to be confused with actress and drama teacher Maria Franck.

Maria Franck-Marc

Mädchenkopf (Bildnis Maria Franck)
by Franz Marc, 1906

Born|

Bertha Pauline Marie Franck

(1876-06-12)12 June 1876

Berlin, Germany

Died| 25 January 1955(1955-01-25) (aged 78)

Ried, Bavaria, Germany

Known for| Painting, textiles
Movement| Expressionism
Spouse|

Franz Marc

(m. 1913; died in 1916)​

Maria Franck-Marc, née  Bertha Pauline Marie Franck (12 June 1876 – 25 January 1955), was a German artist. She is also known as the wife of the painter Franz Marc.[1]

## Early life and education

[edit]

She was born on 12 June 1876 in Berlin, Germany. In Berlin she attended the Unterrichtanstalt des Kunstgewerbemuseum, the Königliche Akademie der Künste (Royal Academy of Arts). In 1895 she graduated as an art teacher.[2]

In 1903 she started studying in Munchen at the Damen-Akademie des Künstlerinnen-Vereins (Ladies Academy of the Artists' Association, Munich), where she had classes from Angelo Jank en Max Feldbauer.[3]

In 1905 she resided for several months in the art colony at Worpswede, where she painted under the guidance of Otto Modersohn. Her work from this period shows lots of landscapes, and she also developed an interest in painting children. These truly expressionist themes will stay prominent in her work for the rest of her life.[2]

## Marriage with Franz Marc

[edit]

Marie Schnür, Maria Franck and Franz Marc in 1906

She met the artist Franz Marc in 1905, and started a relationship with him in 1906, possibly in a menage a trois with fellow artist Marie Schnür. Franz Marc would marry Schnür in 1907, only to divorce her a year later. In 1913 Marc and Franck got married.[4][5] Her parents didn't approve of the marriage, nor of the artist lifestyle of their daughter.[2] The pair was fascinated by Japanese woodwork.[6]

During this time Franck worked on children's illustrations besides painting. She was hoping to get her drawings published, mainly for financial reasons.[2]

## Blaue Reiter

[edit]

In 1910 and 1911 Franck and Marc met with fellow artists couples August Macke and Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke, and Wassily Kandinsky and Gabriele Munter.[7] They were briefly involved with the Neue Künstlervereinigung München but soon they decided to start their own movement: Der Blaue Reiter. The pairs Paul en Lily Klee, and Alexej von Jawlensky and Marianne von Werefkin, all living in Munich at the time, got involved.[8][9] This group is considered fundamental to expressionism and was fascinated by authenticity, returning to nature, and conveying emotions through bold colours.

They organised two exhibitions, in 1911 en 1912.[10] Maria Franck-Marc showed three pieces in the second one.[7] Her work showed children's toys, an important theme for the Blue Rider, for whom the world of children was linked with authenticity.[11] Macke also painted children because of an interest in natural spontaneity.[12]

## WOI

[edit]

After the outbreak of the First World War the group ceased to exist. Both Franz Marc and August Macke were drafted, and Kandinsky (of Russian nationality) left Germany.[12] Franz Marc died in combat in 1916. Maria Franck-Marc organised a memorial exhibition for him in Munich. August Macke also died in the war, and the two widows, Maria Franck-Marc and Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke, stayed lifelong friends.[2]

Because of the war and the departure of her husband, Franck-Marc stopped painting, which turned out to be definite. She started embroidering as a distraction, but soon this became an important carrier switch. Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke had also turned towards textile art.[2]

## Bauhaus and Textile Art

[edit]

After the war Franck-Marc travelled regularly to Weimar and Dessau, where she rekindled the friendship with Kandinsky and Klee. In 1922 she started studying at Bauhaus in Weimar, fully committing herself to textile art, now with a focus on weaving.[7]

Between 1929 and 1938 she mainly resided in Ascona (in Switzerland), nearby her friend Marianne von Werefkin. She frequented Monte Verità, a sanatorium and meeting place for artists, pacifists and revolutionaries.[2]

This period turned out to be very productive: she designed and weaved tapistries according to her own artistic views, with clear influence of Paul Klee's compositions.

## Later life and death

[edit]

During World War 2 she stayed at home in Munich, and Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke moved in with her for a while, together with her two kids. After the war she went back to Switzerland more often.

Her own work was exhibited again only once: in 1952 she showed eleven tapestries in the Munich gallery of Otto Stangl.[2]

Maria Marc died on 25 January 1955 in Ried, Bavaria.[3] After her death Stangl was in charge of the preservation of her art. He played a big role in the foundation of the Franz Marc Museum.[13]

## Exhibitions

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maria Marc.

Her work is permanently shown at:

* Lenbachhaus in München[11]
* Franz Marc Museum in Kochel am See (in Bavaria)[14]
* MoMA in New York City[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Maria Marc". AskArt. Retrieved 4 May 2021.
2. ^ a b c d e f g h "Katalog Maria Marc" (PDF). Galerie Thomas. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
3. ^ a b "Maria Marc (1877-1955)". RKD (in Dutch). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
4. ^ "Maria Marc". Frauendatenbank (in German). Retrieved 4 May 2021.
5. ^ Baumgartner, Michael (2010). Franz Marc - Paul Klee Dialog in Bildern; [Franz-Marc-Museum vom 27. Juni bis 03. Oktober 2010; Stiftung Moritzburg vom 24. Oktober bis 09. Januar 2011; Zentrum Paul Klee vom 28. Januar bis 01. Mai 2011]. Wädenswil. p. 201\. ISBN 978-3-907142-50-9.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
6. ^ "die Maler des Blauen Reiter und Japan". Schlossmuseum Murnau (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-26.
7. ^ a b c "Maria Marc". Schlossmuseum Murnau (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-26.
8. ^ "Gabriele Münter". Retrieved 2024-11-26.
9. ^ "Biographie Alexej von Jawlensky". Retrieved 2024-11-26.
10. ^ "Der Blaue Reiter". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
11. ^ a b "Maria Franck Marc". Lenbachhaus (in German). Retrieved 2024-11-22.
12. ^ a b "Life and Work August Macke 1887–1914". August Macke Haus. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
13. ^ "History". Franz Marc Museum. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
14. ^ "New Addition". Franz Marc Museum. Retrieved 2024-11-22.
15. ^ "Maria Marc (German, 1876–1955)". MoMA. Retrieved 4 May 2021.

* v
* t
* e

Franz Marc

List of works

Paintings|

* Hut in Dachau Moors (1902)
* Indersdorf (1904)
* Two Women on the Hillside (1906)
* Horses in Landscape (1911)
* Blue Horse I (1911)
* Blue Horses (1911)
* Fox (1911)
* Yellow Cow (1911)
* Little Blue Horse (1912)
* Fate of the Animals (1913)
* The Tower of Blue Horses (1913)
* The Foxes (1913)

Museums|

* Franz Marc Museum

Related|

* Marie Schnür (first wife)
* Maria Marc (second wife)
* Der Blaue Reiter

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF
* FAST
* WorldCat

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* 2
* BnF data
* 2
* Czech Republic
* Norway
* Israel

Artists|

* ULAN
* RKD Artists
* FID

People|

* Deutsche Biographie
* DDB

Other|

* IdRef
* RISM
* Yale LUX

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