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.
Biography
Helmut Friedel
Helmut Friedel is an art historian and director of the Museum Frieder Burda in Baden-Baden. He was director of the Lenbachhaus in Munich from 1990 to 2013 and has published numerous books on art, including Gerhard Richter: Red, Yellow, Blue, Franz Marc: The Retrospective and Kandinsky – Absolute. Abstract (all by Prestel).
Annegret Hoberg
Annegret Hoberg is Head of Collections for the Blue Rider and the Kubin-Archiv at the Lenbachhaus in Munich.