Born 8 February 1880 in Munich, Marc is possibly one of the least known of the great artists. (Spoiler alert: he also ranks highly amongst my favourite artists).
He founded The Blue Rider (Der blaue Reiter) journal, which became a whole art movement in itself, also featuring August Macke and Vassily Kandinsky. Highly influential, the group was active at a time of massive change, both in art and the world in general.
His most creative years coincided with the run-up and start of the First World War, and this possibly influenced his shift to starker, more intense, spritually colourful works. He served in France until 1916, and was killed by a shell fragment, just after receiving papers calling him back to Berlin for protection.
The Nazis declared him to be a degenerate artist but most of his work survived and his work is on view in many eminent galleries and museums.
This is: The foxes (Die Füchse)