a franz marc white on white

thanks wikipaintings.org.  public domain

Winter:  it's definitely here and with the holidays past nothing much is around to distract us from that.  For these two intent seekers, that's just as well; winter is clearly their element, and they are doing what they're made to do.  These are "Siberian Sheepdogs," painted circa 1910 by the German Expressionist Franz Marc, one of The Blue Rider's founders, and a painter I always particularly enjoy.  In the few years following this piece, his work became increasingly Cubist and was created according to his own color symbolism, but animals and their innate natures remained his main themes.  He died in 1916 during WWI.  A scant 20 years later the Nazis were removing his work from gallery walls as "degenerate art," which goes to show you how much institutionalized evil fears an honest, deep perception.  Even when - or perhaps because - it regards animals.