In the summer of 1909, in the beautiful Bavarian town of
Murnau, nestled in the Alps, the 20th century art movement, The Blue Rider (The Blaue Reiter) had its genesis. That was the summer that artists
Gabriele Munter (1877-1962) and Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) found a charming
house on the hill overlooking Murnau, with stunning views of the Alps. The
colorful village houses, intense light, local folk art, along with images of
St. George slaying the dragon, would inspire the ground breaking works of the
artists of the Blue Rider movement. Kandinsky, Munter, Franz Marc, August Macke
and Alexi von Jawlensky, painted together in this picturesque town, and
influenced each other’s work.
Kandinsky, Munter and their friends gathered at the “Russian
House”, as the locals called it, to paint en plein air. Influenced by local folk art (paintings on small glass panels, with a bright
palette and heavy dark lines) their work became more expressive, with an abstract
quality. After disassociating themselves
from the Neue Künstlervereinigung München art movement, Kandinsky and Marc decided to start their own
group, and write an almanac of their artistic philosophy.
Kandinsky took inspiration in his favorite images of St. George slaying
the dragon, while Marc drew from his love of painting animals, combined the
Blue Rider was born. The first almanac featured
a cover image of an abstracted horse and rider.
The Blue Rider Almanac cover by Wassily Kandinsky, 1911
The Blue Rider movement lasted from 1911-1914, and its
artists shared a similar approach and sensibility to painting. Their use of expressive, symbolic color, dramatic
brushwork, and spiritual themes
dominated their paintings.
Yellow Cow by Franz Marc, 1911
Kandinksy and Munter lived in the “Russian House” from 1909-1914, when the onset of WWI forced Kandinsky and von Jawlensky to return to their
native land of Russia. Tragically, both
Franz Marc and Auguste Macke were killed in battle.
Village Street in Murnau by Wassily Kandinsky, 1908
Gabrielle Munter lived in this beautiful house in Murnau
until her death in 1962.
Staircase in Munter House painted by Wassily Kandinsky, 1901. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer
The Munter House is now a museum open to the public. I had
the pleasure of visiting this historic home while recently traveling through
Upper Bavaria. While none of Kandinsky’s paintings are on view, there are some
of Munter’s works, along with hand painted furniture made by the couple, and
local folk art, which inspired the Blue Rider artists. The presence of
Kandinsky and Munter is felt in this house, their palettes are displayed side
by side near a window overlooking one of the beautiful views that inspired
them.
Wassily Kandinsky and Gabrielle Munter's palettes, Munter House, photo by Marie Dauenheimer
An hour away in Munich the largest collection of Kandinsky’s
work can be viewed at the Lenbachaus Museum.
In 1962 Gabriele Munter donated a vast collection of over
1,000 paintings, drawings and prints, all created by the
Blue Rider artists.
View of Murnau from the Munter House. Photo by Marie Dauenheimer
For more information on the Munter House I recommend the
book The Munter House in Murnau by
Matthias Muhling and Isabelle Jansen.
There is also a wonderful chapter about the Munter House in the book Artists’ Houses by Gerard-Georges
Lemaire.
Dandelions by Gabrielle Munter
For more information on visiting the Munter House visit their website:
Dandelions by Gabrielle Munter
For more information on visiting the Munter House visit their website:
http://www.muenter-stiftung.de/en/the-munter-house/
