Tiger - Franz Marc

A 1912 Expressionist oil painting by Franz Marc, featuring a tiger integrated into a geometric, prismatic environment.

Franz Marc, a founding member of Der Blaue Reiter, produced this work in 1912. The painting demonstrates his interest in the spiritual essence of animals, which he often depicted through a lens of colour theory and geometric abstraction. In this composition, the tiger is rendered not as a literal biological specimen, but as a form integrated into a fractured, prismatic environment. The animal occupies the centre of the frame, its body defined by heavy, dark outlines and simplified planes of yellow and ochre. Marc employs a palette of contrasting hues, including deep greens, violets, and reds, to construct the surrounding space. These angular shapes suggest a crystalline structure, reflecting the influence of Cubism and Futurism on his practice during this period. The tiger's gaze is directed away from the viewer, suggesting a state of focused observation or internal stillness. Marc believed that animals possessed a purity absent in humanity. By stripping away realistic detail, he sought to represent the world from the perspective of the creature itself. The brushwork remains visible, contributing to the sense of energy within the static form. The interplay between the organic curves of the tiger and the rigid, jagged edges of the background creates a tension that is characteristic of Marc's mature style. This work remains a clear example of his attempt to synthesise the physical and the metaphysical through colour and form.