The Blue Rider in the Lenbachhaus Munich by Helmut Friedel & Annegret Hoberg
folio. pp. 372. profusely illustrated. bibliography. hardcover (near fine - lower corners bit bumped & back cover bit scuffed). Munich: Prestel, 2003.
ISBN-10: 3791353128 / ISBN-13: 9783791353128
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Published to coincide with the reopening of the Lenbachhaus after a glorious new redesign and expansion, this book explores the highly influential Blue Rider group. A private historic villa that was transformed into one of Munich’s most beloved museums, the Lenbachhaus has reopened with a redesign by the renowned architect Norman Foster. Published to help celebrate the museum’s reopening, this book offers a fresh perspective on the Lenbachhaus’s most popular holdings: the works of the Blue Rider group, of which the Lenbachhaus owns the largest collection worldwide. One of modern art’s most influential forces, the Blue Rider movement was founded by a group of artists including Wassily Kandinsky, Alexej Jawlensky, Marianne von Werefkin, Franz Marc, August Macke, and Gabriele Münter. Although styles and aims varied from artist to artist, the group shared a common desire to express spiritual truths through their art. They believed in the promotion of modern art, the connection between visual art and music, and a spontaneous, intuitive approach to painting that is characteristic of German Expressionism. In addition to full-color illustrations of works by the artists of the Blue Rider group, this book features pieces not included in previous books and a design that echoes that of the Lenbachhaus Museum.