Dog Lying in the Snow
Statue of Cupid and Psyche
c. 1911 Second half of 2nd. C, Roman Imperial Period
Ancient: Greek Marble; Restored; Fine-grained white and Pavonazzetto Marble
130 x 81 x 54 cm
The Torlonia Collection: Masterpieces of Roman Sculpture, Musée des Beaux Arts de Montreal
Fondazione Torlonia
Born in Munich, Germany, in 1880, Franz Marc was inspired by his father early on to begin a career in the arts. Despite this, he nonetheless would attempt more noble pursuits of philosophy and theology, before ultimately foregoing these ideals and enrolling in the Munich Academy of Fine Arts. Here, he learned the skills of naturalism and realism, styles he would later abandon for his iconic expressionist works. Although he is considered a pioneer in the world of art and continues to influence even in modern day, many of his works had been removed or destroyed by the Nazi Party during the Second World War.
Marc was perhaps best known for his work during his time in Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider). Created alongside Wassily Kandinsky, Der Blaue Reiter was a group of artists unified by a common goal of wanting to enhance spiritual connection through artistic means. Unfortunately, the group did not survive for long. Beginning in 1911 with an exhibition at the Moderne Galerie in Munich, it would dissolve only 3 years later in 1914 with the commencement of World War One. Regardless, they created a profound impact on the world of art, as it began the shift from depicting objective realities into abstract expression.
Among all his works, Marc enjoyed painting animals the most. In this portrait, Marc used an expressive and vibrant pallet of color in order to portray his own dog, Russi, napping in a cloud of snow. Typical of his style, he gave up a naturalistic approach for a more expressive use of color, including in his technique of light and shadow. By doing so, he turns a scene that, by any other artist, would be devoid of color (a white shepherd sleeping on a snowy background), into a vibrant portrait gleaming with life.
