''Promenade'' is an oil-on-cardboard painting by the German artist
August Macke
August Robert Ludwig Macke (3 January 1887 – 26 September 1914) was a German Expressionist painter. He was one of the leading members of the German Expressionist group Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). He lived during a particularly activ ...
, executed in 1913. It is held at the
Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus
The Lenbachhaus () is a building housing the Städtische Galerie (English: Municipal Gallery) art museum in Munich's ''Kunstareal''.
The building
The Lenbachhaus was built as a Florentine-style villa for the painter Franz von Lenbach between ...
in
Munich
Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
. Chronologically, it is the first of the paintings that he created after moving to
Hilterfingen
Hilterfingen is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the administrative district of Thun (administrative district), Thun in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Hilterfingen is first mentioned in 1175 ...
in
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
.
History
In the autumn of 1913, Macke, together with his wife and son, moved to
Switzerland
Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...
, settling in
Hilterfingen
Hilterfingen is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the administrative district of Thun (administrative district), Thun in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Bern in Switzerland.
History
Hilterfingen is first mentioned in 1175 ...
, on
Lake Thun
Lake Thun () is an Alpine lake in the Bernese Oberland in Switzerland named after the city of Thun, on its northern shore. At in surface area, it is the largest Swiss lake entirely within a single canton.
The lake was created after the last gl ...
, where he would spend eight months, from September 1913 to May 1914, working intensively. The ''Promenade'' painting is the first created during this period, and the first where Macke used the motif of a walk in a park near a bridge and water. Decisive for Macke was the influence of the contemporary French painting, above all the work of
Robert Delaunay
Robert Delaunay (; 12 April 1885 – 25 October 1941) was a French artist of the School of Paris movement; who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism (art), Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and g ...
. For Macke, this event was a turning point in understanding the role of light and color in painting. According to his wife,
Elisabeth Erdmann-Macke, in his final paintings there can be noticed the "airiness of colors, wonderful luminosity, especially in the green tones of trees, transparency of heavenly blue, sunspots on the ground, where shades change from shining yellow to deep red-brown". He painted figures of people without sharp contrasts, and without outlining them with a clearly defined contour.
Back in 1910, Macke had defined the goal of his work: "to praise nature." In Hilterfingen, the old motives of his paintings and sketches took on a more intense level. Macke created what could be considered the "Paradise" of the modern man with leisurely walks through the city streets, serene relaxation in the park, sailing and swimming.
Description
In the center of the composition is a young man in an elegant suit and with a summer hat, talking to a lady in a red dress and blue jacket, holding an umbrella. This couple seems fenced off from the environment, not noticing anything around. Their faces are only outlined, anonymized, and devoid of specific features. Another lady, wearing a hat with a white feather, is leaning against the railing of the bridge, and more two men, to her left. The painting creates a feeling of blissful peace on a quiet sunny day, where a person seems in harmony both with himself and with nature.
Promenade, Städtische Galerie im Lenbachhaus (German)
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See also
* List of works by August Macke
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Promenade
1913 paintings
Paintings by August Macke
Paintings in the Lenbachhaus